Where to See Rhinos in Uganda: Uganda is home to over 60 rhinos, and the main place to see them is Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, with two other locations, Ajai Wildlife Reserve and Kidepo Valley National Park, currently undergoing rhino reintroductions. Once upon a time, both black and white rhino species lived in Uganda’s protected areas; however, they became extinct due to poaching and conflict. The last rhino was killed in Kidepo Valley National Park in the 1980s.
Nearly 2 decades later, conservationists put together the National Rhino Conservation and Management Strategy for Uganda with the vision to reintroduce rhinos into the country. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was established for rhino breeding purposes in 2005, starting out with only six southern white rhinos, including 2 males and 4 females. Since then, the breeding program at Ziwa has been successful, with numbers reaching 48 rhinos after two decades of rigorous conservation. To boost the population, the African Parks Network donated 8 southern white rhinos, which arrived in December 2025, bringing the total population to 61.
With this steady population, new locations, which include Ajai Wildlife Reserve and Kidepo Valley National Park, were identified for rhino reintroduction as part of restoring rhinos to their historical range. Given that both areas were once home to rhinos, with Ajai having been home to northern white rhinos. Uganda’s long-term goal is to breed and ultimately reintroduce rhinos back into protected national parks.
Ziwa rhino sanctuary
Located 170 km (a 3-hour drive) north of Kampala city along the route to Murchison Falls National Park, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the heart of rhino conservation with over 50 southern white rhinos. It is the best and most reliable place to see rhinos in Uganda. An on-foot rhino tracking experience with a trained ranger offers an opportunity to see rhinos up close and safely for up to 1 hour. A distance of 10 meters (33 feet) away must be observed when tracking so as not to threaten the animals. Ziwa rhino tracking is one of the intimate wildlife experiences in Uganda; it involves short guided walks to locate rhinos and educational insights about the history of rhino reintroduction.
Ajai Wildlife Reserve
Ajai Wildlife Reserve is one of the primary sites identified for rhino reintroduction in Uganda. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) intends to turn Ajai into a future rhino breeding site. As of March 2026, four southern white rhinos were reintroduced in the reserve from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, marking the first successful internal rhino translocation. The long-term target is to translocate up to 20 rhinos into the reserve in the future.
Ajai Wildlife Reserve is located in the Arua district on the west banks of the Albert Nile in northwestern Uganda, about 110 km (2-hour drive) north of Murchison Falls. The reserve spans 148 sq. km with an elevation ranging between 700 and 1,000 meters. With open savannah grasslands interspersed with acacia woodland and riverine forests, seasonal water channels, and wetland areas, Ajai is an ideal habitat for grazing wildlife such as rhinos.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Located in the remote semi-arid plains of the northeastern Ugandan border with South Sudan and Kenya. Kidepo Valley National Park covers 1,444 sq. km of open savanna, sand river valleys, rock kopjes, and rugged mountains and is Africa’s true wilderness area. With rich biodiversity, including 77 mammals and 476 bird species, Kidepo has lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalo. The protected historically had both black and white rhinos, which were wiped out in the 1980s due to rampant poaching and civil strife.
As such, the reintroduction of rhinos to Kidepo Valley National Park is part of restoring rhinos to their historical range. In the first planned phase, 8 rhinos will be reintroduced, of which four have already been put into the park from Kenya through a partnership of UWA with, among other stakeholders, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda Conservation Foundation, Global Conservation, Northern Rangelands Trust, and Wild Landscapes East Africa. A secure fenced sanctuary zone has been built inside the park, where it is easy to monitor and protect the rhinos. Kidepo is going to be the first complete Big Five safari destination in Uganda.