Uganda's rhinos were hunted to complete extinction in the national parks during the political instability of the 1970s and 1980s. By the early 1980s, not a single wild rhino remained in the country. Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch is where that story is being reversed.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was established in 2005 as a protected breeding and reintroduction project aimed at restoring rhinos to Uganda's national parks. The sanctuary started its conservation journey with only 6 rhinos — 4 relocated from Solio Ranch in Kenya and 2 translocated from Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida — and now holds over 32 Southern White Rhinos. The sanctuary covers over 70 square kilometres of savannah and bushland, jointly managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Rhino Fund Uganda, with the ultimate goal of reintroducing rhinos back into Uganda's national parks where they once thrived.
All the rhinos at Ziwa are free to move around the 27 square miles within the ranch. Well-trained rangers guide visitors through the bush to wherever the rhinos are at the time, entering the territory of the Southern White Rhinos on foot. Every individual rhino in the sanctuary is known to the rangers by name — a name given based on their personality, history, or the circumstances of their arrival. When you meet a rhino at close range on the savannah, your guide tells you its name, its family relationships, and its story. It is possible to get very close to these magnificent creatures — far closer than a vehicle-based game drive would allow — in what is genuinely one of Uganda's most intimate wildlife encounters.
In addition to white rhinos, visitors may encounter Uganda kob, bushbuck, warthogs, vervet monkeys, and a wide variety of bird species including the shoebill stork. Over 300 bird species can be spotted here, including the rare Shoebill stork. The sanctuary's position on the Kampala-Gulu highway makes it a natural stop for anyone travelling to or from Murchison Falls National Park.
Because of Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda is one of the few African countries where all of the Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros — can be seen. Lions and the other four are present in parks like Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley. The rhino is found only here.
Trip Highlights
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Track Southern White Rhinos on foot with UWA-trained rangers — getting closer to rhinos than any vehicle-based game drive allows
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Learn each rhino's individual name, personality, and conservation story from your guide
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Witness the living results of Uganda's rhino reintroduction programme — from 0 wild rhinos in 1983 to 32+ and growing
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Spot the rare Shoebill stork, Uganda kob, bushbuck, warthogs, and over 300 bird species in the 70 km² sanctuary
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Complete Uganda's Big Five — the rhino at Ziwa joins lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalos available in other parks
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All sanctuary entry fees and rhino tracking fees included; private transport throughout