Rhinos Return to Uganda’s Kidepo Valley After 40 Years
Why this is here: The sanctuary at Kidepo Valley includes firebreaks, demonstrating a proactive approach to habitat management alongside direct animal protection efforts.
Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park now hosts rhinos again after four decades. Two southern white rhinos arrived Tuesday, marking the start of a program to re-establish the population. The last rhino in Kidepo was poached in 1983, eliminating the species from Uganda’s wild.
Rhinos once numbered around 700 across Uganda’s national parks before widespread poaching reduced the population to zero. The Uganda Wildlife Authority relocated the rhinos from a private ranch near Kampala, about 62 miles from the capital. The ranch began breeding rhinos in 2005, importing animals from Kenya.
UWA established a secure sanctuary within Kidepo Valley National Park. This includes fencing, roads, firebreaks, and monitoring technology.
The relocation followed a study confirming Kidepo's suitability for rhino reintroduction. The IUCN classifies southern white rhinos as “near threatened,” estimating a global population of over 10,000.