About Ziwa
A Brief History Of The Ranch
The Ziwa ranch was established in 1983 as a cattle farm that introduced exotic cattle into Uganda. Privately owned by Captain Roy and his family, it operated as a cattle farm for almost 20 years.
In 2002 the Roy family engaged in lengthy discussions with Rhino Fund’s Executive Director, Yvonne Verkakik. Following this, the decision was made to relocate 7,000 heads of cattle in order to establish a safe haven for rhinos. At the time, rhinos had become extinct in Uganda due to poaching. Therefore, it seemed a logical choice to re-introduce and preserve this magnificent species.
Following this, a lot of fundraising effort was put in by the Roy family and friends of rhino rehabilitation. This led to initiatives such as the M2M Das Challenge and rhino naming. The money raised from this helped to pay for fencing to protect the land from poachers and intruders. With this security in place, the project began in earnest.
Growing The Rhino Population
Ziwa was finally established in 2005. Its goal was to re-introduce southern white rhinos back to their natural habitat in the environs of Murchison Falls. Initially, 6 southern white rhinos were introduced to the ranch. At the start of 2023, the total has risen to 34 rhinos, and we are expecting that number to grow.
Our mission is to reintroduce these majestic creatures back into the wild. We want to see them roaming the plains in their natural habitat, as they have done in days gone by! The project has been a collaborative effort between the Uganda Wildlife Authority (the custodians of the species) and Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch Limited. Together, we want to see rhinos introduced into other national parks throughout Uganda, roaming the land with other wildlife species.
Want to know More?
Would you like to know more about our well-trained rangers or other local places to vist? Or perhaps you’d like to learn about the other wildlife you can see at the wildlife ranch? Click the links below to explore more…
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