Uganda Introduces white Rhinos in Kidepo Valley

The Uganda Wildlife Authority is in the final stages of introducing ten southern white rhino into Kidepo Valley National Park. This initiative aims to enhance tourism and the park’s ecosystem.

The white rhinos going to Kidepo Valley are coming from the succesful rhino-breeding program program at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Uganda.

History of Rhinos in Uganda

The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was established in 2005 as part of the Rhino Re-introduction Project to restore the species to Uganda after poaching had driven them extinct in the country’s national parks by the 1980s. In 2006, six southern white rhinos were introduced to the sanctuary, marking the first time in nearly 30 years that the species had returned to Uganda.

Importance for tourism in Karamoja

Kidepo Valley will be the first place in Uganda where one can see the southern white rhino in the wild. This will play a significant role in attracting tourists to the national park and therefore the larger Karamoja tourist circuit.

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According to Richard Muhabwe, the Chief Warden of Kidepo Valley National Park, the rhinos will be acquired from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.