Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

3 Days

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

History: Established in 2005, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was created with the primary goal of reintroducing and restoring the population of wild rhinos in Uganda. Prior to its establishment, rhinos had been extinct in Uganda since the early 1980s due to poaching and habitat loss.Location: The sanctuary is situated in Nakasongola District, covering an area of approximately 70 square kilometers (about 27 square miles). It is nestled within a mix of savannah and woodland habitat, providing a suitable environment for rhinos to thrive.Efforts: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is managed by the Rhino Fund Uganda (RFU), a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of rhinos in Uganda. The sanctuary employs various conservation strategies, including 24-hour monitoring, anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration, and community engagement initiatives.Rhino Species: The sanctuary is home to the Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), which is one of the two subspecies of white rhinos. As of the latest available data, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary hosts a growing population of rhinos, with successful breeding and reintroduction programs contributing to their conservation.Rhino Tracking: One of the main activities offered at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is guided rhino tracking excursions. Visitors have the opportunity to trek on foot accompanied by experienced guides to locate and observe the rhinos in their natural habitat. This up-close encounter with these magnificent creatures provides valuable insights into their behavior and biology. Visitor Facilities: The sanctuary offers visitor facilities including accommodation options ranging from budget campsites to luxury lodges, as well as a restaurant, souvenir shop, and educational center. Guided nature walks, birdwatching, and boat safaris on the adjacent Lugogo Swamp are also available for visitors to enjoy. Community Involvement: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary actively engages with local communities to promote conservation awareness and sustainable livelihoods. Community members are involved in various aspects of the sanctuary’s operations, including tourism, research, and habitat restoration projects, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility for rhino conservation. Accessibility: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is accessible by road from Kampala, with the journey taking approximately 3-4 hours by car. The sanctuary is a popular stopover for travelers en route to Murchison Falls National Park or other destinations in northern Uganda

These are some of the costs that will be incured while at the Ziwa

Transport – $200 per day

Hotel          – $150 per day

Entrance    – $40 per day

Feeding       – $50 per day

Activities – $200

On arrival from your country you will be picked up an Entebbe International Airport by our welcoming guests who will warmly receive you, they will then carry your luggage and place you into our service vehicle and we shall drive you through Kampala or Entebbe where you will a have dinner then we shall proceed to the host Family. From here we is where you will be staying before and after your different journeys.

When you are at the Host Family, we shall be able to feed you really well with a variety of local dishes from our Country such as Luwombo, Matooke, Millet (Kaalo) and be able to engage in different cultures the Home is large enough with full time internet access (WI-FI) and so many more.

 

Itinerary

We shall warmly receive you at Entebbe International Airport. Where our welcoming guests will then drive you for a dinner in Entebbe or Kampala then proceed to your Hotel for the night's rest in preparation for the following day's journey.

Just like any other short Uganda safari, we start our journey early in the morning so as to reach Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in time and catch up with the planned activities. Our tour guide/driver will pick you from your hotel or Airport at around 08 HRs and drive you straight to the Sanctuary.

You are most likely to reach Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary during lunch hours, therefore, you will check in, have lunch while waiting for the evening shift of trekking the magnificent white rhinos usually from 16HRs to 18HRs.

At around 15H:30, you will be briefed about the dos and don’ts before setting a foot on the ranch for rhino tracking. Accompanied by the well-trained rangers, you will enter the territory of the southern white rhinos, tracking them where ever they could be then.

Since the sanctuary is thousands of hectares big, a vehicle can be used to drive closer to where rhinos are to ease your trek.

While tracking the rhinos on the 1st day of the 2 days Rhino Tracking Tour, there is a possibility of spotting other mammals that also inhabit in the sanctuary. These include among others, bush bucks, the Uganda kobs, water bucks, oribis and Hartebeests.
Return to your lodge or camping site for the dinner and overnight. At night, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary take you to the skies as you will be able to see the milky way from your lodge. There is also camp fire at night.

To catch the worm, we shall be up by the dawn on our day 2 of the 2 days Rhino Tracking Tour and head to Lugogo Swamp for shoebill trekking. You will ride in a canoe to view the whale-headed birds, shoebills nests in wetlands (swamps) as they feed on lungfishes, frogs and other creatures living in swamps.

This early morning canoes ride gives opportunity to view shoebills in the swamp and a colorful sunrise over the Lugogo swamp of Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary Uganda. The swamp is rich in nature and is also a home to plenty of water birds.
It is recommended to sleep with in the sanctuary as gates are opened at 07H:30 yet this activity is best done early in the morning.

Approximately 4hrs are spent on shoebill trekking and canoe riding at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

You will there after go for a guided nature walk where you watch hundreds of birds, small wild animals and some primates such as the black and white colobus monkeys and vervet monkeys.

Head ack to your lodge for lunch and check out before driving back to Kampala or Entebbe airport

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
From $ 1140
/ Adult