Uganda’s rhino population has reached 60, marking a significant step in the country’s long-term wildlife restoration efforts as four Southern White Rhinos settle into Ajai Wildlife Reserve.

Six weeks after being relocated from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola District, the animals are reported to be adapting well to their new environment in Madi-Okollo District.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the rhinos are feeding normally and moving within a controlled area under constant ranger surveillance.The 221-kilometre transfer signals a new chapter in Uganda’s conservation journey.

For more than four decades, rhinos existed only within Ziwa after the species was wiped out in the wild due to poaching and years of political instability. The last wild rhino in Uganda was killed in 1983, leaving the country without the iconic species for nearly 20 years.

Efforts to restore the population began in 1997 with the formation of Rhino Fund Uganda, which partnered with UWA to establish a protected breeding sanctuary.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was officially launched in 2005 with six Southern White Rhinos imported from Kenya and the United States. Since then, careful breeding and intensive protection have steadily grown the population, with no recorded poaching incidents at the sanctuary.

The recent birth of a calf at Ziwa pushed the national tally to 60. Conservation officials describe the milestone as proof that Uganda’s structured recovery strategy is working.

In December, eight more Southern White Rhinos were donated by African Parks from South Africa to boost genetic diversity. Four of them were later selected for relocation to Ajai Wildlife Reserve, historically one of Uganda’s key rhino habitats.

UWA has invested in tight security at Ajai, including a fenced sanctuary, permanent ranger deployment, and water infrastructure to support the animals.

Nearby communities were also engaged to minimise potential human-wildlife conflict.Authorities plan to gradually increase Ajai’s rhino population to 20, with future reintroductions earmarked for Kidepo Valley and Murchison Falls national parks.

Officials say the return of rhinos to Ajai represents more than conservation success , it reflects Uganda’s determination to restore species once thought permanently lost.