Four southern white rhinos were successfully translocated to Ajai Wildlife Reserve from Ziwa Wildlife Sanctuary (Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch). The rhinos made the 221-kilometer journey northwards starting from January 5, 2026. They were safely transported by road, inside reinforced crates to reduce stress throughout the 4-hour journey. Uganda Wildlife Authority led a dedicated team of rangers, veterinary doctors, and various wildlife experts for this. Upon arrival at Ajai Wildlife Reserve, the rhinos were carefully offloaded and released into the wild.
The rhinos are being closely monitored by the team, and signs indicate they are adapting to the current environment. This translocation marked the first phase of Uganda’s planned program that will see 20 rhinos taken to Ajai. The remaining 16 will join the first group in the second phase after the latter have been monitored and stabilized. This is a significant component of the National Rhino Conservation Strategy. The strategy aims to rebuild and safeguard the rhino population while restoring them to their historical range in north Uganda.
About Ajai Wildlife Reserve
Ajai Wildlife Reserve sits on 148 square kilometers of land in the Madi-Okollo district in the West Nile region. Situated on the west bank of the Nile River, Ajai Wildlife Reserve comprises a range of habitats. These include riverine swamp, forest, savanna woodland, and grassland, etc. These habitats are home to numerous fauna and flora. Key mammal species living here include hippopotamus, Uganda kob, bushbuck, and black and white colobus monkey, etc. The rhinoceros, which used to live here until the late 1970s, has now been reintroduced.
Why reintroduce rhinos in Ajai Wildlife Reserve?
Uganda once had both the eastern black and northern white rhinos that roamed east and west of the Albert Nile. This was in the West Nile, Lango, Acholi, and Karamoja regions. However, they became locally extinct since the 1980s as a result of habitat loss and poaching. Now, before the turn of the century, the program to reintroduce rhinos into the wild started. The establishment of the Rhino Fund Uganda in 1997 was a significant initiative. This enhanced awareness and led to the importation of 2 rhinos from Kenya to shelter at Uganda Wildlife Education Center.
In 2005, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was established and dedicated to breeding and conserving rhinos before their introduction into the wild. Around that time, breeding started after 4 rhinos from Kenya, and 2 from the USA were brought into the sanctuary. These 6 led to 49 rhinos following successful breeding for over 2 decades. In December 2025, 8 more rhinos were brought in from South Africa to supplement the country’s total rhino population. As mentioned earlier, this is all part of the National Rhino Conservation Strategy.
Though Ajai Wildlife Reserve is the first to experience such a conservation milestone, it will not be the last. Protected areas, including Murchison Falls National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park, will also be repopulated with rhinos in the future. Uganda will continue to ensure a steady growth of the rhino population of at least 5 percent per year. This commitment is also evidenced by the rhino naming campaign that was done on September 22, 2025. This led to over 490 million shillings raised to help in implementing the rhino conservation strategy.
Best time to go to Ajai Wildlife Reserve?
Ajai Wildlife Reserve is open for exploration throughout the year. But it is best explored in the dry season. Ajai Wildlife Reserve in the dry season offers fewer challenges when it comes to driving along its tracks. The vegetation cover during the dry season is also less dense, thus offering clearer views of the mammals. What causes all of these factors is the lower occurrence of rainfall during the dry season of the year. This is experienced from December to March, with February being the driest month.
How to travel to Ajai Wildlife Reserve?
Road transport is the best way to travel to the Ajai Wildlife Reserve in the West Nile. From Kampala in central Uganda, the Ajai Wildlife Reserve is situated 378 kilometers to the northeast. The scenic trip is via Kampala-Masindi and will take between 7 and 8 hours. Pauses to have lunch and soak in the beautiful scenery are guaranteed. At Standard Safaris, we shall ensure that you travel comfortably and safely. It is your choice to travel in any of our wide range of safari vehicles. These include 4X4 Toyota Land Cruiser, safari van, or minibuses, etc.
Besides going to see rhinos, we shall design a comprehensive tour package with you to make your experience exceptional. This will have to incorporate transportation, meals, accommodation, and exploring other protected areas of the country, among others. This includes Murchison Falls National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Kidepo Valley National Park, etc. This offers the perfect chance to see the country’s most iconic waterfalls, mountain gorillas, tree-climbing lions, and cheetahs, among others.
