Uwa targets $11 million in Rhino conservation efforts
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is set to launch a fundraising exercise for the translocation of the endangered white rhino from its breeding place at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary to the wild in a bid to reintroduce the species that about 2 decades ago was extinct.
The Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, located in Nakasongola district’s Nakitoma sub-county was established in 1983 as a cattle ranch but efforts changed in 2002 when the idea of breeding rhinos, which were already an extinct species in the country, came around.
Currently, the sanctuary is home to about 43 rhinos that have been bred over the years, a number that now proves to be over the centre’s carrying capacity.
In the past few years, the government has proposed Trans locating some of these animals to some established national parks and game reserves but has fallen short of funds.
During celebrations of the International Rhino day held at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary on Sunday, the country’s tourism authorities announced that they will carry out a fundraising activity in terms of rhino naming with a target of rising $11 million dollars in funds intended for habitat conservation, habitant management, protection and expansion.
“That’s why we need this money, because if you are going to translocate the rhinos from Nakitoma to Ajai, you really need quite an investment to take these rhinos to that place. And you have got to protect them where they are. Because this is a new area so you will need to do fencing and protect them first. You just don’t drop them and go away,” Tom Butime, the country’s tourism minister said.
He added that the funding will stop when the animals are more habituated in the area until they can let them stay without close supervision.
The naming will happen to 13 that have been recently born at the sanctuary in the last few years that up to until now have not been assigned permanent names.
In the process of naming, individuals, groups, families or even companies that might want one of the rhinos to have their name will open up to a bidding process where the target is $1m per name.
This is in a bid to raise up to an amount of $11m.
The first bunch of the translocation will be about ten.
The choice of Ajai comes after a year’s long study of several environments where they can survive and easily adapt to that environment.
The ones that remain at the sanctuary will then have to be monitored to increase their chances of inbreeding.
According to the director of business and market Mr Simon Masaba, the government has already fallen behind its earlier set date of translocation which was 2024 mainly because of the money.
Currently, the newly set date is 2025.
