Ziwa Rhino Tracking
Walk With Rhinosin Uganda.
Track southern white rhinos on foot at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary — the place at the heart of Uganda’s remarkable rhino recovery.
Accompanied by experienced rangers, walk through the sanctuary, locate the rhinos and observe them at a safe distance in their habitat.
For many travelers, Ziwa is also the missing piece of Uganda’s Big Five experience, combining naturally with lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo sightings in Uganda’s national parks.
Tell us how many days you have. We’ll build Ziwa into the journey.
Most of Uganda’s large wildlife is experienced from a vehicle or a boat.This one, you do on foot.
The Experience
This One, You Do on Foot.
Ziwa is different.
You set out with trained rangers and track rhinos on foot. The walk takes you through the sanctuary’s bush and grassland as your ranger follows information about the rhinos’ movements and explains their behaviour, habitat and conservation.
The briefing, before anyone walks into the sanctuary.
Then you find them.
There is no vehicle window between you and the landscape. You remain at the distance directed by your ranger and watch.
The rhinos are free to move, so no two walks are alike.
A rhino grazing.
A mother with her calf.
Several animals resting together.
The experience is closely managed and very different from encountering wildlife from a vehicle.
But understanding Ziwa requires knowing why these rhinos are here at all.
The Return of the Rhino
Uganda Lost Its Rhinos. Then It Brought Them Back.
There was a time when rhinos roamed Uganda’s wild landscapes. By the early 1980s, they were gone. Years of poaching and instability had driven Uganda’s indigenous rhino populations to extinction in the wild — for more than two decades, a country once home to both black rhinos and northern white rhinos had none.
2005
Four Rhinos Arrive From Kenya
The founding four.
Uganda’s rhino recovery began with four southern white rhinos brought to Ziwa from Kenya’s Solio Ranch. They became the foundation of a new breeding population on Ugandan soil.
- TaleoSolio Ranch, Kenya
Sire of Obama - MojaSolio Ranch, Kenya
- BellaSolio Ranch, Kenya
- KoriSolio Ranch, Kenya
But four rhinos were only the beginning.
2006
Two More Arrive From Florida
The founding population reaches six.
The following year, two more southern white rhinos arrived from the United States, donated by Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida. They joined the four rhinos already at Ziwa.
- HassaniDisney’s Animal Kingdom, Florida
Male - NandiDisney’s Animal Kingdom, Florida
Female · Dam of Obama
With the animals in place, the long work of rebuilding Uganda’s rhino population could begin.
2009
24 June — Obama Is Born
Uganda’s first rhino calf in roughly a quarter of a century.
Ziwa reached its first major milestone when Nandi gave birth to a male calf. He was named after Barack Obama — a Kenyan father, an American mother, born in Uganda.
For Uganda’s rhino recovery programme, the significance went far beyond the name. Rhinos were breeding again on Ugandan soil.
- Father
- Taleo Brought to Ziwa from Solio Ranch, Kenya
- Mother
- Nandi Arrived at Ziwa from the United States
- Born
- Uganda Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Nakasongola District
From Six Rhinos to a Recovering Population
More Calves Followed.
A breeding population, not a collection
Nandi alone would go on to produce seven calves during her life, becoming an important part of the sanctuary’s breeding success. The population that began with six founders steadily grew.
Recovery takes time
A white rhino pregnancy lasts roughly sixteen months, and every successful birth sits behind years of protection, monitoring, veterinary care and habitat management.
What you encounter at Ziwa today is therefore much more than a wildlife sighting. It is the result of years of deliberate conservation.
Next
Ajai Wildlife Reserve
Returning rhinos to wilderness beyond the sanctuary.
For years, Ziwa provided the protected environment Uganda needed to rebuild its rhino population. Now the country has begun taking the next step.
Ajai Wildlife Reserve in northern Uganda has become part of that next chapter as southern white rhinos are moved from Ziwa into a landscape where rhinos disappeared decades ago.
Ziwa was created to help Uganda bring the rhino back. Its success is now helping restore rhinos to more of Uganda’s protected landscapes.
When You Walk at Ziwa
Remember the Story Beneath Your Feet.
You are not walking through a place where rhinos simply happened to survive. You are walking through the place where Uganda began bringing them back.
The rhino grazing ahead of you belongs to a conservation story that began with six animals, crossed borders and continents, produced Uganda’s first rhino calf in decades and helped rebuild a population that had disappeared from the country.
That history changes the experience.
You do not simply come to Ziwa to see a rhino. You come face to face with Uganda’s rhino recovery.
On the Walk
What Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Is Actually Like.
A guided wildlife experience, not a staged wildlife interaction. Rhino tracking under ranger supervision.
You meet the ranger team
You enter the sanctuary and meet the rangers before heading into the landscape to locate the rhinos.
Part of the approach may involve driving
Depending on where the animals are that day, the approach may begin in a vehicle before continuing on foot.
Your ranger decides how close the group goes
Once the rhinos are located, your ranger determines how closely the group can approach and where you should stand.
Every walk is different
Sometimes they are feeding. Sometimes they are resting. You may encounter a mother and calf or several animals together. Your ranger interprets what you are seeing while managing the encounter and maintaining the appropriate distance.
Ziwa + Murchison Falls
One of Uganda’s Most Natural Safari Combinations.
Ziwa sits naturally on a journey north from Kampala or Entebbe toward Murchison Falls National Park. One route, two distinctly different wildlife experiences.
Indicative — not to scale
The Route North
Entebbe / Kampala
ArrivalYour international gateway, and where the journey north begins.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Where it isNakasongola District, in central Uganda, north of Kampala.
What you doTrack southern white rhinos on foot with trained rangers.
How long to allowNot a quick roadside stop. Time is needed to locate the rhinos, approach them under ranger direction and observe them without rushing.
Murchison Falls National Park
On landGame drives through savannah where elephant, giraffe, buffalo, lion and other wildlife can be encountered.
On the waterA boat safari on the Nile toward the falls — hippos, crocodiles, elephants and prolific birdlife along the banks, before the river is forced through the narrow gorge that gives the park its name.
Travel times depend on routing, road conditions, lodge location and park entry point. We confirm them when designing your journey rather than building your trip around indicative figures.
Ziwa is not a detour. It is on the way.
Start with rhino tracking at Ziwa, on foot, in the place where Uganda’s recovery began.
Then continue north to Murchison Falls, where the experience changes completely — savannah, the Nile and the gorge.
If Ziwa forms part of your journey to or from Murchison Falls, we build sufficient time into the day.
Explore Murchison Falls →Complete Uganda’s Big Five
Four Are in the Parks. The Fifth Is at Ziwa.
Uganda is home to four of the traditional African Big Five within its national parks. The rhino is the exception — and that is what makes Ziwa particularly important for travelers hoping to encounter all five during one Uganda journey.
Only at Ziwa
Rhino
Track southern white rhinos on foot at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
In the national parks
Lion
Look for lions in Murchison Falls or Queen Elizabeth National Park.
In the national parks
Leopard
Search for one of Africa’s most elusive big cats on game drives.
In the national parks
Elephant
Encounter herds across several of Uganda’s protected areas.
In the national parks
Buffalo
Frequently seen in Uganda’s savannah parks and along its waterways.
Ziwa Journeys
You Don’t Need to Build a Trip Around Ziwa Alone.
We can place the experience naturally within a wider Uganda safari, depending on how much time you have and what else you want to see.
4 Days
Ziwa + Murchison Falls
A focused northern Uganda journey combining rhino tracking with game drives, the Nile and Murchison Falls National Park.
Best for — travelers with limited time who want a strong wildlife experience.
7 Days
Rhinos, Nile & Primates
Combine Ziwa and Murchison Falls with additional time in Uganda’s forests and wildlife regions.
Best for — travelers who want more variety without trying to cover the entire country.
12 Days
Uganda’s Wildlife & Primates
Build Ziwa into a broader journey through Uganda, potentially combining Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi. Rhinos, savannah wildlife, chimpanzees, gorillas and the Nile.
Best for — travelers coming to Uganda for a more complete first journey.
1 / 3
The Queen Safaris Approach
One Journey. Arranged End to End.
We can incorporate Ziwa into your Uganda journey and arrange your transportation, accommodation, park experiences, permits where required and the wider safari route.
You do not need to assemble the trip experience by experience.
Ziwa at a Glance
The Recovery, in Numbers.
4
Southern white rhinos brought to Ziwa from Kenya’s Solio Ranch in 2005
2
More arrived in 2006, donated by Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida
6
Founding rhinos — Taleo, Moja, Bella, Kori, Hassani and Nandi
24 June 2009
Obama born at Ziwa — a Kenyan father, an American mother
approx. 25 years
Since a rhino had last been born in Uganda
7
Calves produced by Nandi during her life
approx. 16 months
The length of a white rhino pregnancy
On foot
How you approach and observe the rhinos, under ranger direction
Rhino tracking is conducted under the direction of trained rangers and is subject to the sanctuary’s operating conditions on the day.
Conservation
Why Your Visit Matters.
Every rhino at Ziwa sits behind years of protection, monitoring, veterinary care and habitat management — work carried out by ranger and conservation teams every day.
Rhinos are powerful wild animals, and tracking on foot is closely managed so that they stay wild and undisturbed.
What keeps the encounter responsible:
- Rangers decide the route.
- Rangers decide the distance.
- You stand where you are directed to stand.
- The group moves when the rangers say it moves.
- No one approaches a rhino independently.
Uganda brought the rhino back. The responsibility is helping it stay.
Ziwa Rhino Tracking FAQ
Questions Before You Set Out on Foot.
Tracking at Ziwa
Do we actually track the rhinos on foot?
Yes. Rhino tracking at Ziwa includes approaching and observing the animals on foot under the supervision of trained rangers.
Depending on where the rhinos are located, part of the approach may first involve driving.
Does Ziwa complete Uganda’s Big Five?
For travelers visiting Uganda’s savannah parks, Ziwa provides the opportunity to add rhino to encounters with lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo.
Is Ziwa worth visiting if I am already going on safari?
Yes. Tracking rhinos on foot is very different from encountering wildlife on a conventional game drive, and Ziwa also carries unusual significance within Uganda’s conservation story.
What about safety?
Rhinos are powerful wild animals. Tracking is conducted under the direction of trained rangers, who determine where you walk, where you stand, how closely the group approaches and when it needs to move.
Always follow your ranger’s instructions and never approach a rhino independently.
Planning Your Visit
Where is Ziwa?
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is in Nakasongola District in central Uganda, north of Kampala.
Its location makes it particularly convenient for travelers continuing toward Murchison Falls National Park.
Can I visit Ziwa on the way to Murchison Falls?
Yes. This is one of the most natural ways to incorporate Ziwa into a Uganda itinerary.
How long should I allow?
Do not treat Ziwa as a quick roadside stop. Time is needed to locate the rhinos, approach them under ranger direction and observe them without rushing the experience.
If Ziwa forms part of your journey to or from Murchison Falls, we build sufficient time into the day.
When can I visit?
Rhino tracking can be incorporated into Uganda journeys throughout the year.
Walking conditions and vegetation change with Uganda’s wetter and drier periods, so we consider Ziwa alongside the rest of your itinerary rather than choosing the entire journey around this one experience.
What should I wear?
Comfortable closed walking shoes and lightweight clothing appropriate for Uganda’s climate are recommended.
A hat and sun protection can be useful, with light rain protection during wetter periods.
Can Queen Safaris arrange the complete journey?
Yes. We can incorporate Ziwa into your Uganda journey and arrange your transportation, accommodation, park experiences, permits where required and the wider safari route.
You do not need to assemble the trip experience by experience.
Go Further
One Walk. Many Journeys.
Rhinos + Murchison Falls
The natural northern route: rhino tracking on foot, then savannah game drives and a boat safari on the Nile.
Explore Murchison Falls →Rhinos + Gorillas
Add Uganda’s other great walking encounter and cross the country from the Nile to the forest.
Ziwa. Bwindi. Two walks, one journey.
Explore Gorilla Trekking →Rhinos + Uganda’s Big Five
Build the fifth animal into a wider safari across Uganda’s savannah parks and waterways.
Explore Uganda Safaris →Plan Your Ziwa Rhino Experience
Come for the Rhinos. Come Knowing What You Are Looking At.
- A species disappeared from Uganda.
- Six rhinos became the foundation of its return.
- A calf called Obama marked an important milestone.
- The population grew.
- And Uganda has begun moving rhinos back into protected landscapes beyond Ziwa.
When you finally stand on foot and watch one of these animals grazing ahead of you, you are seeing part of that recovery for yourself.
Ziwa rarely travels alone. It sits on the road north to Murchison Falls, it completes Uganda’s Big Five, and it fits as easily into four days as into twelve.
Tell us how many days you have. We will build the journey around you.
Uganda · Rwanda · Tailor-Made East Africa
