The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary established in 2005 to re-introduce Rhinos back to Uganda after they had been declared extinct in the year 1983, is located in Nakasongola district, on Gulu highway towards Murchison Falls National Park. It is the proud home of the only wild rhinos in Uganda.

The long term objective of creating Ziwa Sanctuary was to build a sustainable rhinoceros population and relocate rhinos back to their original habitat in Uganda’s protected areas.

The sanctuary started with just six individual Rhinos, four brought from Kenya in 2005 and two brought from the Disney Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida in the USA in 2006.

The first Rhino baby was born in 2009, a male named Obama in honor of the then US President due to the fact that the baby mother was from USA and his father was from Kenya.

On Saturday, September 8, 2023, the sanctuary welcomed another baby Rhino, making a total of 41 Rhinos currently at the sanctuary.

Ziwa Sanctuary is not only composed of Rhinos but it’s also a home to almost 40 other mammal species including crocodiles, Hippos, Leopards, monkeys and about 300 bird species.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary allows you to experience the majesty of these creatures up-close with a rhino trek where an experienced ranger will lead you on foot to see them at a safe distance.

Heather, an international tourist recently shared her experience at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and thanked the guides for offering protection to the wildlife.

“It was such an intense and rewarding journey to experience these highly endangered animals. Our gratitude isn’t easy to define. I got very emotional while thanking our guide and the rangers for their incredible work in protecting these wonderful creatures every day. I thanked them for the fact that Rhinos at Ziwa are thriving so well,” Heather tweeted.

The Sanctuary is one of the most important wildlife conservation projects in Uganda, and one can always visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and contribute to the conservation efforts of these gentle giants.