Uganda’s sole rhino sanctuary, Ziwa, yesterday morning recorded the arrival of a baby rhino. Nandi, one of the initial females brought to the sanctuary when it was established, gave birth to what appears to be another healthy male calf. This returns the overall number of rhinos on the Ziwa Sanctuary of the Rhino Fund Uganda to 15, after earlier in the year one of the adult males succumbed to injuries sustained during a fight with another rhino.

Rhino Fund Uganda is a private NGO which was established for the purpose of re-introducing rhinos to Uganda and under a breeding programme provide high enough numbers to allow the Uganda Wildlife Authority to eventually introduce the species back into selected national parks like Murchisons Falls or Kidepo Valley NP.

This objective can, given the sustained growth through births, very likely be reached before the end of the decade, making it one of Uganda’s greatest conservation successes.

It is understood from usually well informed sources that discussions are also progressing towards the introduction of the Eastern Black species – the present population is Southern White – to in parallel also begin the same long march towards achieving viable populations on the sanctuary before allowing for a return into the wild.