Uganda’s rhino population has climbed to 60, marking a major milestone in the country’s decades-long wildlife restoration campaign as four Southern White Rhinos settle into Ajai Wildlife Reserve.
Six weeks after their relocation from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the animals are reportedly adapting well to their new environment in Madi-Okollo District. According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the rhinos are feeding normally and moving within a controlled zone under constant ranger surveillance.
The 221-kilometre transfer signals a new chapter in Uganda’s conservation journey.
For more than four decades, rhinos existed only within Ziwa after the species was wiped out in the wild due to rampant poaching and years of political instability. The last wild rhino in Uganda was killed in 1983, leaving the country without the iconic species for nearly two decades.
Efforts to rebuild the population began in 1997 with the formation of Rhino Fund Uganda, which partnered with UWA to establish a protected breeding sanctuary.
Ziwa was officially launched in 2005 with six Southern White Rhinos imported from Kenya and the United States. Since then, careful breeding and intensive protection have steadily grown the population, with no recorded poaching incidents at the sanctuary.
The recent birth of a calf at Ziwa pushed the national tally to 60, a development conservation officials describe as proof that Uganda’s structured recovery strategy is delivering results.
In December, eight more Southern White Rhinos were donated by African Parks from South Africa to boost genetic diversity. Four of them were later selected for relocation to Ajai, historically one of Uganda’s key rhino habitats.
UWA has since invested in enhanced security at Ajai, including a fenced sanctuary, permanent ranger deployment, and water infrastructure to support the animals. Nearby communities were also engaged to minimise potential human-wildlife conflict.
Authorities plan to gradually increase Ajai’s rhino population to 20, with future reintroductions earmarked for Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison Falls National Park.
Officials say the return of rhinos to Ajai represents more than a conservation success — it reflects Uganda’s determination to restore species once thought permanently lost.
