Introduction to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda

 

History
Uganda used to be home to the Northern white rhino subspecies (now only four individuals remain, in the Garamba National Park in the DRC) and to the Eastern black rhino subspecies. However, along with much of Uganda’s other wildlife, they were poached to extinction during Idi Amin’s rule.

Goals
In 1997 an NGO called the Rhino Fund Uganda (RFU) was established with goal of bringing rhinos back to Uganda. After an initial period of start-up fundraising, RFU secured the offer of land on the Ziwa cattle ranch in Nakasongola (170 km north of Kampala), which would enable it to build the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Having secured funding for a fence, security staff, a visitor centre, education officer and so on, RFU successfully secured the donation of four Southern white rhinos from Solio Ranch in Kenya in July 2005. Two further Southern white rhinos arrived in August 2006, donated by Disney Animal Kingdom, Florida. RFU hopes to arrange the donation and translocation of two Eastern black rhinos in 2007.

In the short term, the RFU aims to translocate between 10 and 15 rhinos, with the aim of developing the Sanctuary into a safe and secure location for breeding white and black rhinos (Ziwa has an ecological carrying capacity of 38 whites and 12 blacks) as an interim step towards the reintroduction of the rhinoceros into Uganda's National Parks. In the long term, the RFU hopes that Ziwa might become a Game Reserve in which other species of wildlife can be encountered, highlighting Uganda’s unique biodiversity and emphasising the importance of conserving it.

Sanctuary maintenance and security
Bush meat hunting has been a source of income in this region (Kafu River Basin), and frequent hunting used to take place on Ziwa ranch. An electric fence, coupled with heavy ranger presence (23 staff) and the Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger outpost nearby have mostly eradicated bush meat hunting. Nevertheless, demand for rhino horn is still present, and as poaching activities abound in neighboring DRC, anti-poaching activities are a high priority.

Education and community outreach
Alongside its conservation efforts, the RFU also aims to build local capacity to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the project, raise awareness for conservation, and provide long-term economic opportunities to local and national economy, e.g. the promotion of tourism. To achieve these aims they have developed innovative community-based conservation strategies, and envision a country where all Ugandans value their wildlife resources and work to ensure the survival of rhinos and other species in the wild.

With help from experienced educators from the UK and the USA, Ziwa’s education team has developed education programmes for different age groups. The Outreach Programme has visited 200 schools in the last 12 months, and aims to visit an additional 120 before 1 May 2007. Educational materials include learning tools regarding the urgent need to conserve the rhino, the value of biodiversity in Uganda, the rhino’s place in local and global ecosystems, the impact of conservation on the community and the importance of conservation efforts worldwide.

Ziwa aims to involve local communities through an active outreach programme and is already working closely with local communities in the area to show that rhino conservation is possible through Ugandan efforts. Approximately half of the education and law enforcement staff have been recruited locally.

Tourism
The success of the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary will play the key role in the eventual re-introduction of rhino back into its original habitat in Uganda’s National Parks. This will boost tourism on a national level, as it will provide facilities to attract tourists and visitors, enhancing Uganda as a tourist destination. Being one of the Big Five, the rhinoceros represents a welcome addition to safari itineraries.

Ziwa is located 170 km northwest of Kampala, along the tarmac road to Murchison Falls, which is one of the main tourist destinations in Uganda. This makes the Sanctuary a perfect stopover for overnight travelers on their way to Murchison Falls. The Sanctuary has already started to attract visitors through partnership initiatives with travel operators and volunteer organisations. Plans for the Sanctuary to construct a tourist lodge on the Lugogo swamp adds to the potential for promoting Ziwa as an attractive tourist destination. Furthermore, a solar-powered visitor centre has already been built. The centre has a permanent display on conservation and allows seating for groups of 30 people.

Funding needs for 2006-07
The RFU’s activities are broadly divided into four main categories. Please find below summaries of each element, and an outline of their financial situation in the current financial year. The total cost for 12 months is approximately US $160,000, with $8,500 currently unfunded.

• Environmental education and visitor centre: Items include salaries, supplies for the education programme, fuel for the community outreach programme etc. This part of the project is fully funded, as educational and community outreach programmes have proven to be attractive for funders. Donors in 2006-07 include Disney Animal Kingdom, Save the Rhino International and Prince Bernhard Fund for Nature in the Netherlands
• Security: Items include ranger salaries, uniforms, motorbike maintenance and fuel costs etc. US Fish and Wildlife Service has recently committed to cover all these costs
• Sanctuary maintenance: Items include fencing, sanctuary supplies, maintenance etc. These costs are met by income generated from the Sanctuary (from visitors and guiding) as well as the ongoing volunteer programmes
• Office and management: items include salaries for key staff, and office overheads such as phone / fax, postage etc. The deficit for this income line stands at US $8,500.