Rhinos in Uganda
Rhinos in Uganda : Rhinos in Uganda are part of the big five and can be seen during tours in the ziwa rhino sanctuary located in Nakasongola district. The ziwa rhino sanctuary is the only location in Uganda where rhinos can be seen during a wildlife safari. The type of rhinos found in the rhino sanctuary is white rhinos and there are also various bird species found in ziwa. Rhinos are endangered wildlife species in Uganda and the ziwa sanctuary is a place where other wildlife species can also be seen during tours and these include Uganda kobs, oribis, bushbucks, warthogs, black and white colobus monkeys, porcupines, genets, aardvarks, common duikers and also waterbucks.
There are about 34 rhinos found at the ziwa rhino sanctuary and another place where rhinos can be seen is the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) located in Entebbe although the rhinos at the zoo are not roaming freely in their natural habitat. At the ziwa rhino sanctuary, the rhinos are taken care of and they aim to reintroduce them in the national parks in Uganda.
Activities to do at Ziwa rhino sanctuary
There are various activities to do when visiting the ziwa rhino sanctuary to see the rhinos and they include the following;
Rhino tracking
The rhino tracking experience at ziwa rhino sanctuary takes place on foot and tourists are accompanied by ranger guides to search for the rhinos in Uganda.
Rhinos at the sanctuary roam free within the ranch and tourists encounter them in their natural habitat. The rhino tracking experience starts as early as 07:00 am and is available until 05:00 pm daily and can last up to about 2 hours.
A briefing by the ranger guides is done before taking part in rhino trekking about the safety during the search for the rhinos in Uganda. Tourists get close to the rhinos and enjoy taking their photos and later return to the briefing point.
Shoebill experience
The Shoebill experience takes place from 06:00 to 09:00 am during tours around the ziwa rhino sanctuary.
This activity involves searching for the shoebill which is one of the famous birds sought after during birding tours in Uganda. The Shoebill at ziwa rhino sanctuary can be seen around the swamps and a canoe ride is taken to search for the Shoebill.
Many other bird species can also be seen during the search for the Shoebill.
Guided nature walks
The guided nature walks around ziwa rhino sanctuary bring the tourists closer to the beautiful surroundings and habitat of the wildlife species including rhinos which are encountered during the walks.
Different trails are followed during the guided nature walks which are led by ranger guides and can take about 2 hours.
Night time walks can also be done around ziwa rhino sanctuary and they take place from 08:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Canoe rides
Canoe rides around Ziwa rhino sanctuary can be taken during tours in search of the shoebill and birding tours around the wetland area of the sanctuary.
Bird watching
Over 300 bird species are found around the ziwa rhino sanctuary and they include the Shoebill, Grey crowned crane, African fish eagle, Pied Kingfisher, African Jacana, African Grey Hornbill, Pygmy Kingfisher, Marabou Stork, White Egret, Red Billed Oxpeckers, among others.
Tours to see the rhinos in Uganda can also be combined with wildlife safaris to Murchison falls national park.
Cost of seeing rhinos in Uganda
There are different costs associated with visiting the rhinos in Uganda and these include accommodation costs, transport costs, entrance fees and they vary for foreign nonresidents, foreign residents and East Africans.
Entry fees
Entry fees for visiting the rhinos at ziwa rhino sanctuary is 50 USD for foreign nonresident adults, 30 USD for children aged up to 12 years. Foreign residents pay entrance fee of 45 USD for adults and 20 USD to see the rhinos while East African adults pay a fee of 40,000 Uganda shillings and children are charged 10,000 Uganda shillings.
Shoebill trekking
Taking part in the shoebill trek at the ziwa rhino sanctuary costs 25 USD for foreign nonresidents, 20 USD for foreign residents visiting the shoebill and 20,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans.
Nature walks
Nature walks in the day time and night time around ziwa rhino sanctuary cost 20,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans, 20 USD for foreign residents and foreign nonresidents.
Birding costs 20 USD for foreign nonresidents and foreign residents while East Africans pay a fee of 20,000 Uganda shillings to take part in a birding tour around ziwa rhino sanctuary.
Accommodation costs
When visiting the rhinos in ziwa rhino sanctuary, tourists can choose to camp or stay at the guesthouse or the dorm room. Staying at the campsite costs 20 USD per person for each day, spending the night at the guesthouse costs between 50 USD to 90 USD for single rooms, 80 USD to 120 USD for double rooms and spending the night at the dorm room costs about 30 USD per person per night.
Transport costs
Tourists also incur transport costs during their visits to the rhinos in Uganda and they can use public or private means. Vehicle hire can cost about 100 USD per day for private transport and public transport is cheaper and can be about 12,000 Uganda shillings per person.
Best time to see rhinos in Uganda
Rhinos can be visited during anytime of the year although the best time to see them is during the months of the dry season around December to February and June to October. However they can also be seen during the wet season despite the rains.
The dry season is also considered a good time to see other wildlife species in Uganda during safaris.
Where to stay during rhino tracking in Uganda
The ziwa rhino sanctuary offers accommodation for tourists during their experience with the rhinos in the wild at the Amuka safari lodge.
Getting to the Ziwa rhino sanctuary
The drive from Kampala to Nakasongola takes about 2 to 3 hours.
