History of Rhino Fund Uganda

Rhino Fund Uganda (RFU) was established in 1997 as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to fulfill the following objectives and functions:

To promote the reintroduction of rhinoceros to protected areas within Uganda;

To promote breeding programs to ensure the long term viability of reintroduced rhinoceros populations in Uganda;

To establish programs in conjunction with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), district governments and local communities to ensure the protection of the rhinoceros populations from poaching;

To conduct education programs about the endangered rhinoceros;

To build national support for the protection of rhinoceros populations in Uganda;

To conduct fund raising campaigns and generate funds in support of translocation, protection, and management of the reintroduced rhinoceros populations.

RFU is a registered charity and graciously accepts donations as tax-deductible gifts.

In 2001, two white rhinos were imported and relocated to the Ugandan Wildlife Centre (UWEC) in Entebbe for educational and awareness raising purposes.

In 2002, Rhino Fund Uganda and Ziwa Ranchers Ltd, entered into a lease agreement on seventy square kilometers of land which would become Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is surrounded by a two meter high electric fence – construction took almost one year and brought a lot of employment to local communities. The fence is solar powered and was designed to keep the rhinos inside and poachers outside the sanctuary.

The first rhinos arrived at the sanctuary in July 2005, from Solio Ranch in Kenya. These four southern white rhinos, Taleo, Moja, Bella, and Kori, were donated by the European Union in support of our rhino project. Our rhinos quickly adapted to their new home! Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary started welcoming visitors in late 2005.

In August 2006 two more rhinos, Hassani and Nandi, arrived from the USA thanks to a donation from Disney's Animal Kingdom. Overnight accommodations and the restaurant opened in 2008.

The Present

Ziwa rhino sanctuary is a popular destination and most of the tour operators travelling from Kampala toward Murchison Falls National Park include a stop at the sanctuary as a permanent part of their itineraries. Feedback from visitors is extremely positive, and our visitor numbers are expected to continue to grow!

A security force of 40 Rangers patrols the fence, guard the gates, and monitor the rhinos 24 hours per day. The sanctuary is currently in process of becoming a game reserve, in which rhinos and other species of wildlife can be encountered, highlighting Uganda’s unique biodiversity and emphasizing the importance of conserving it. There are over 20 species of mammals already living in the sanctuary and their numbers are increasing.