UGANDA ‘EXPECTING’ THREE MORE RHINOS
The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary of the Rhino Fund Uganda has just released information, that the three female adults are all in the family way once again. Ziwa presently is the only sanctuary in Uganda where rhinos can be seen it he (semi)wild, and 6 adults and 3 now adolescents are roaming the nearly 17.000 acres of the conservancy which is conveniently located along the route between Kampala to Murchisons Falls National Park. The arrival of baby rhinos in 2009 created major media coverage, as they were the first in over 30 years to be born on Ugandan soil, after the species was poached to extinction in the early 1980’s when the dictators then running the country cared little if for anything to do with wildlife and conservation.
Angie Genade, Executive Director of RFU and of the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary has confirmed to this correspondent that ‘Nandi’ is due to deliver in July this year, while ‘Bella’ is thought to be due in December 2011. The third female, ‘Kori’ will be the last of the three and likely have another calf by early 2012.
Angie also shared further information that RFU is now just waiting for the final go ahead from donors and financiers to obtain another 6 females from Kenya’ Solio Rhino Conservancy – which is located not far from Nyeri in the central highlands of Kenya – before then translocating the selected animals to Uganda.
With the three expected rhino babies the total number of the Southern White Rhino will rise to 12 and the addition of a further 6 would bring this to 18, a sound foundation to ensure regular breeding and lay the foundation to eventually release some of them into planned rhino enclosures within Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchisons Falls National Park.
Well done in the meantime to Angie and her team at Ziwa and of course all the best to the ‘expecting mothers’ – watch this space for future announcements and write to angie@rhinofund.org for information how best to support the Rhino Fund Uganda.
