Visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary & Wildlife Ranch – Rhino Trekking on Foot
The Best Things to Do and See in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Wildlife Protectorate
Things to do in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary: Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch are halfway to or from Murchison Falls Park in Kampala. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is home to Uganda’s Rhinos in the Wild. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is where the Ugandan Rhino re-introduction project takes place. The project is overseen and managed by the Rhino Fund Uganda and Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Ziwa is the only place where you will be able to see rhinoceros in the wild of Uganda. With the birth of Baby Rhoda in August 2020, there are now 31 White Rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Wildlife Ranch.
Presently the Sanctuary is home to thirty-two (32) southern white rhinos. The Sanctuary experienced a baby boom in August 2020 when Jamali and Roda were born.
The Sanctuary has become increasingly popular with tourists who visit Rhino Trekking, Shoebill Trek and Canoe Ride, Bird Watching, Night Walk, Nature Walk, and Relaxation while staying at Amuka Lodge.
Rhino tracking – Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary-Home to the Rhinos of Uganda
Things to Do and See at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – Activities you can do and see
Rhino Tracking on Foot:
Ziwa Rhinoceros Sanctuary is where you can track the southern white rhinos on foot. Well-trained and experienced Uganda Wildlife Rangers will guide you to where the rhinos are on the day of your visit.
You can watch these endangered, magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. As these rhinos are free to move around on 7,000 hectares of land, driving to the rhinos’ areas is often necessary before taking the bush trek. This drive is done in your Kabiza Wilderness Safari Vehicle,
While at the Sanctuary, you may also encounter a range of other wildlife species, including Uganda Kobs, oribis, bushbucks, waterbucks, and many other bird species.
This activity is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and should not be missed!
Your guide is there to keep you safe from harm, so listening to the safety briefing he gives you is particularly important. The on-foot trek is about ninety minutes in length, depending on the location of the rhinos. You will need to wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots with woolen socks. You also will need to wear long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, and a hat. Have a daypack where you have some bottled water, photographic equipment, and anything else that you might need. Be sure to wear an effective insect repellent.
In Search of the Shoebill Stork in Lugogo Swamp:
One of the most sought-after birds in Africa, in Uganda, is the shoebill stork which is not a Stork but is part of the pelican family.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Wildlife Ranch are the only places where you are always almost guaranteed to see the shoebill storks. The most sightings of the stork have been eleven on one canoe ride in Lugogo Swamp.
An early morning (6:00 am) shoebill trek and canoe ride through Lugogo Swamp allows you to find the shoebill and see the beautiful Ugandan sunrise over Lugogo Swamp. The canoeing activity can also be done in the late afternoon toward sunset.
Waterbirds are plentiful, and this activity is necessary for anyone who loves nature or is interested in birding.
As this activity is so early in the morning, you must spend the night at Amuka Lodge as you cannot enter the Sanctuary before 07:30.
The Sanctuary contains over three hundred bird species! Four bird trails within the sanctuary cover woodlands, swamps, and savannahs. The birding guides are excellent, and this is an activity that bird lovers cannot miss. While doing your bird walk, you will see some other wildlife in the Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary has become a favorite, with Birders visiting Uganda. Birding is often overlooked but not to-be-missed activity at Ziwa Sanctuary.
Spend a night or two at Amuka Lodge and enjoy the array of feathered friends that can be seen on a Birding Walk at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Wildlife Ranch.
How much time do you need: at least two hours mornings or late afternoon
What you need: Closed shoes, water, long pants, and insect repellent
Ziwa Sanctuary is one of Uganda’s best birding locations.
Guided Nature Walks:
You can spend the day hiking in the Sanctuary’s wilderness, encountering bushbuck, gray duiker, oribi, waterbuck, reedbuck, hartebeest, mongoose, ground squirrels, vervet monkeys, black and white Colobus, and various reptiles such as giant monitor lizards, butterflies, and fascinating insects.
Be at one with nature and its sounds and smells. One of the well-trained guides will take you on a walk through our lush bush. Who knows what you will see? The Sanctuary is home to various animals, birds, reptiles, and wildlife.
The guide will share his knowledge of not only the animals but also botany and vegetation.
African Nature walks are informative, and those who participate find them a learning experience.
Recommended times: Early mornings and late afternoons.
How much time you need: Two to three hours
What you need: Closed shoes, water, long pants, and insect repellent
The guided night walk will introduce you to the African night sounds. You will sense things that you did not know existed. This is an experience you cannot exclude from your activities in the Sanctuary.
There are many nocturnal animals, and who knows what you might bump into, from leopards to warthogs and anything in between. Another rewarding experience that you will find only at Ziwa.
This is the only night walk on the Savannah in Uganda. Uganda Wildlife Authority Rangers guide it inside of the 7200-hectare Sanctuary.
Recommended times: from eight to eleven pm.
How much time do you need: 2½ hours
What you need: Closed shoes, water, long pants, insect repellent, and a flashlight
This is one of your Safaris, unforgettable experiences.
Where to stay while at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Amuka Safari Lodge:
Spend a day or stay overnight at Amuka Lodge at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – a destination off the map for most, but put it on yours. If you go to Murchison Falls Park, Ziwa allows you to see all the big five animals and more.
Amuka Lodge is known for giving visitors a comfortable stay in one of their tented cottages. There is also a swimming pool for you to enjoy while staying here.
The Food at Amuka Safari Lodge is some of the best you will have while on a Safari in Uganda.
Amuka Lodge is the only lodge in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary that qualifies as an upper midrange or lower upmarket spa.
An overnight stay cuts down the drive time to Kampala from Murchison Falls, or it is also a terrific location for an overnight on the way to or from Kidepo Valley Park.
Your visit is for a worthy cause since all fees support the Rhino Fund Uganda – Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – a rare opportunity to see Rhinos up close.
Getting to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary:
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the perfect spot to break the six-hour journey from Entebbe to Murchison Falls Park. At Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary you can either stay overnight or have lunch and track the Rhinos on Foot.
Please let us know if you want to include the Things to Do and See – Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in your Safari.
