Karamoja, Uganda – The Ugandan authorities Wildlife officials have reintroduced rhinos to a remote protected area where they were once poached to extinction, a development hailed by conservationists as a milestone in efforts to support the recovery of a species threatened by poaching.
Two southern white rhinos from a private ranch in the east African country were reintroduced to Kidepo Valley National Park in the northeast of the country on Tuesday. Two more rhinos arrived there on Thursday in metal boxes.
There have been no rhinos in Kidepo Valley National Park since 1983, due to poaching. But a private ranch in central Uganda – the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – has been breeding the large mammals since 2005. That program has been successful over the years.
“This moment marks the beginning of a new rhino story for Kidepo Valley National Park,” said James Musinguzi, executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. “We are deeply grateful to our conservation partners whose technical expertise, financial support and logistical contributions have made this milestone possible.”
Local authorities collaborated with several conservation groups, including Global Conservation, to relocate some rhinos from the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to another sanctuary within Kidepo Valley National Park, more than 400 kilometers away.
The new rhino habitat has fences, access roads and fire control infrastructure. More rhinos are expected to be relocated there later this year, including some from Kenya.
The rhino translocation “demonstrates that Uganda is once again stable for tourism, that national parks are protected, and that Ugandans and international visitors can see rhinos in the wild, which will be an incredible feat,” said Jeff Morgan, executive director of Global Conservation.
Poaching remains a problem in Uganda’s protected areas, although improved security measures have curbed incidents over the years.