Community Engagement Key to Boosting Conservation Efforts – Minister Butiime

The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities, Tom Butiime, has called for increased community involvement in conservation activities to support ongoing efforts.

Speaking at the celebration of International Wild Rhino Day at Ziwa Rhino Ranch, Butiime emphasized the importance of regularly engaging communities living near protected areas to foster understanding and ownership of conservation efforts.

“These communities should be part of conservation activities. They need to feel they have a stake in the programs being implemented. Let them be able to stop vehicles and ask, ‘Where are you taking our animals?’ Engage them to feel involved,” he said.

During the event, Butiime also launched the “Name a Rhino” campaign, which will run until March 2025, during Wildlife Week. The campaign aims to raise $11 million (approximately Shs 40 billion) by naming 12 new rhinos at the Ziwa Rhino Ranch. It also seeks to foster collaborative rhino conservation in Uganda

“We will promote this campaign for the next six months, with a bidding process for companies and individuals interested in naming the rhinos,” Butiime added.

He highlighted Uganda’s success in rhino breeding, stating that the country has the best breeding program in Africa, having raised 45 rhinos from the six originally brought in.

Currently, Uganda has 45 rhinos—43 at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and two at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC).

Recently, the government, through the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), announced plans to reintroduce rhinos into the wild. Ajai Wildlife Reserve has been identified as a suitable location, although, according to Steven Masaba, the Acting UWA Executive Director, the process has faced delays but is expected to commence soon.

Masaba mentioned plans to start with 10 rhinos and allow them time to acclimatize to the conditions at Ajai Wildlife Reserve.

Rhinos in Uganda

Sharif Nsubuga, a ranger guide at Ziwa Sanctuary, noted that both the Black Rhinoceros and the Northern White Rhinoceros are indigenous to Uganda. However, due to factors such as prolonged armed conflict and poaching, they were driven to extinction.

Nsubuga explained that white rhinos were reintroduced to Uganda in 2005 at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, with the long-term goal of building a sustainable rhinoceros population and eventually relocating them back to their original habitats in Uganda’s protected areas.

As of 2024, Uganda is home to 45 rhinos, 43 of which are at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and two at UWEC.

Globally, there are an estimated 27,000 white rhinos and 5,000 black rhinos remaining.