Rhinos!
During Idi Amin's reign of terror, and in the decades of bloody civil war afterwards, the wildlife of Uganda was decimated. In 1983 the last wild rhino in Uganda died. In 1997 the Rhino Fund Uganda was formed, and out of this was created Ziwah Rhino Sanctuary. 7,000 hectares of privately owned land was leased to the Rhino Fund for 30 years. In 2005/2006, 6 rhinos from zoos in different parts of the world were introduced. Since then, the number of white rhinos in the sanctuary has increased to 19.
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| Apparently Donna the Rhino was a bit of a wild woman. The rangers didn't even she had conceived until well into her pregnancy, and they don't know which rhino was the father. |
When we arrived at Ziwah Rhino Sanctuary, we set up camp within a fenced-off area. The fence was really to protect us from wandering rhinos. Then we set off on our trek. We were split into two groups, each led by an experienced ranger.
We walked for quite a long time in the blazing sun (thank God I was wearing my Tilley hat!), until we spotted them - a mother and son grazing quietly.
I was a little perturbed with the guide because I felt like he was rushing us along. Until I realized he was rushing us towards an entire group of rhinos.
But he still kept moving us along. I finally realized that he was trying to position us in FRONT of the enormous vegetarian eating machines. But we had to keep backing up, because they walking towards us.
