Categories
- Accommodation
- Accommodation at Kibale Forest
- Active Tour Lodges
- Best Lodges
- Best Luxury
- Birding Guides
- Budget accommodation at Kibale
- Budget accommodation in Uganda
- Budget Hotels in Entebbe
- Budget Murchison Falls Accommodation
- Bwindi Guides
- Bwindi Lodges
- Bwindi National Park Guides
- Culture
- Culture & Nature
- Entebbe Hotels
- Exclusive Lodges In Bwindi
- Exclusive Lodges In Murchison Falls National Park
- Exclusive Lodges in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Family Friendly Lodges
- Good lodges
- Gorilla Trekking
- Gorilla trekking guides
- great blogs
- Guides
- Health Travel Informations
- High End Accommodation At Kibale
- Jinja Accommodation
- Kampala Hotels
- Kibale
- Lodges in Mgahinga
- Luxury accommodation at Kibale
- Luxury Accommodation in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Luxury Accommodation Options
- Luxury Hotels In Entebbe
- Luxury Lodges In Bwindi
- Luxury Murchison Falls Accommodation
- Midrange accommodation at Kibale
- Midrange Hotels In Entebbe
- Midrange Lodges In bwindi
- Midrange Murchison Falls Accommodation
- Murchison Falls Guides
- Murchison Falls Lodges
- Murchison Lodges
- Nature and Culture lodges
- News
- News and Blogs
- Popular
- Primate Lodges
- Queen Elizabeth Guide
- Queen Elizabeth National Park Accommodation
- Semi Luxury Lodges In Bwindi
- Semi-Luxury Entebbe Hotels
- Travel Guide
- Travel Inspirations
- Uganda Honeymoon Lodges
- Uncategorized
Ziwa rhino And wildlife ranch
Rhino tracking in uganda
Ziwa Rhino And Wildlife Ranch
The rhinoceros are possibly the most fascinating member of the Big Five animals. In Uganda, the best place to see rhinos in the wild is at Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, formerly known as Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Located in Nakasongola District, about 176 km from Kampala, the ranch is a popular stop on the way to Murchison Falls National Park. To see rhinos at Ziwa, you have to track them on foot. You will enter the ranch together with an experienced ranger guide who keeps you safe while you approach these magnificent animals. You cover the first part by car. As soon as you are near the rhinos, you continue on foot. You get incredibly close, to within just a few tens of meters.
A Few Facts about Ziwa Rhino Ranch
Before we dive into the details and tell you everything about the Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, we have six facts for you first:
- Ziwa is a protected reserve dedicated to bringing rhinos back to Uganda.
- Every rhino here is monitored day and night, both for research and to ensure its safety.
- The area where the rhinos live is very large (70 square kilometers). You see no fences. It is a natural habitat where rhinos have plenty of room to develop, to adapt to the environment, and to move around.
- There are affordable meals and accommodations
- It is potential stand-alone overnight or day trip from the capital, Kampala
- It is an easy add-on to a safari to Murchison Falls National Park, which is home to the rest of the Big Five
The Story of Rhinos in uganda
When you visit Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, you are not only seeing rhinos. You are also witnessing one of Uganda’s greatest conservation success stories. Uganda was once home to both black rhinos and northern white rhinos.
By the early 1980s, however, rhinos had disappeared completely from the country. Years of political instability during Idi Amin’s regime, together with widespread poaching for their valuable horns, drove them to national extinction.
Determined to bring rhinos back, Rhino Fund Uganda launched an ambitious reintroduction programme. They identified Ziwa Cattle Ranch as the ideal location and approached its owner, Captain Joseph Charles Roy, a former pilot, passionate conservationist, and devoted animal lover. He agreed to move his cattle and dedicate the land to rhino conservation. In 2005 and 2006, the first 6 southern white rhinos arrived at Ziwa. Four rhinos were transported overland from Kenya, while two were flown from Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida using Captain Roy’s own cargo airline.
The project exceeded all expectations. While the team had anticipated that Ziwa’s mix of swamps, savannah, and woodlands would provide a suitable home, they did not foresee the scale of success. From just six founders, the population has steadily grown to 48 rhinos today.
Today, Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). During your visit, you can enjoy a guided rhino tracking walk, look for shoebills, antelopes, warthogs, and many other animals, or spend the night at a lodge inside the ranch. Every visit helps fund the protection and future of Uganda’s rhinos. The rhinos are protected day and night by dedicated rangers. Each rhino family is closely monitored, while patrol teams guard the ranch around the clock. This constant protection keeps poachers away and allows researchers to collect valuable information about the rhinos’ behaviour and health. The knowledge gained at Ziwa also supports rhino conservation projects across Africa.
Uganda’s rhino story is still being written. In March 2026, the Uganda Wildlife Authority released two southern white rhinos into Kidepo Valley National Park. It was the first step in returning rhinos to one of Uganda’s most spectacular wilderness areas. More rhinos will be introduced over the coming years, with the goal of establishing a healthy breeding population in the wild once again. It is a powerful reminder that, with long-term commitment and effective conservation, even a species that disappeared completely from a country can make an extraordinary comeback.
Walking to the rhinos
The highlights of visiting Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch is tracking rhinos on foot. Your experience begins with a short drive through the reserve. Once the rangers locate the rhinos, you leave the vehicle and continue on foot with an experienced guide. They know every rhino and will ensure you enjoy a safe and unforgettable encounter. Rhinos are enormous animals. An adult male can weigh more than 2,000 kilos. When you spot them up close during your walk, that is when you truly see how big they are. Despite their size and strength, rhinos are seen by most people as very likeable animals. If you look closely into their eyes, there is something moving about them. You see a very strong, large animal. But also, a super vulnerable animal.