Uganda’s wildlife authorities have reintroduced rhinos into a protected area 40 years after they were wiped out by poaching, a “historic” event, conservationists said, praising efforts to support the species’ recovery.
On Tuesday, two southern white rhinos were reintroduced into Kidepo Valley National Park in the northeast of the country, with two more arriving in metal crates on Thursday.
There had been no rhinos in Kidepo Valley National Park since 1983 due to illegal hunting, but a private farm in central Uganda — the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary — has been breeding the large mammals since 2005. The program has been successful over the years.
“This moment marks the start of a new chapter for rhinos in Kidepo Valley National Park,” said James Musinguzi, executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. “We are deeply grateful to our conservation partners, whose technical expertise, financial support, and logistical contributions made this milestone possible.”
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Local wildlife authorities collaborated with several conservation groups, including Global Conservation, to relocate some rhinos from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to another sanctuary within Kidepo Valley National Park, over 400 kilometers away.
The new rhino habitat features fencing, access roads, and fire management infrastructure. More rhinos are expected to be relocated there later this year, including some from Kenya.
The translocation demonstrates that “Uganda is stable again for tourism, national parks are being protected, and Ugandans and international visitors can see rhinos in their natural habitat, which is an incredible achievement,” said Jeff Morgan, executive director of Global Conservation.
Poaching remains a problem in Uganda’s protected areas, although increased security measures have reduced incidents over the years.
Rhinos are targeted by poachers due to high demand for rhino horn products for medicinal and other uses in parts of Asia. Some studies indicate that rhino horn sold on illegal markets can sometimes fetch higher prices than gold.
