White rhino family gets new member at Nakasongola sanctuary

NAKASONGOLA- The Rhino Fund Uganda has confirmed the birth of a female white rhino at the Nakasongola- based Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, bringing the number of white rhinos at the reserve to 31.

White rhinos are rare animal species that were at one time wiped out of Uganda in the early 1980s.

Ms Angie Genade, the Executive Director of Rhino Fund Uganda on Monday confirmed the birth of Rhoda, a female calf on August 2.

She said that baby and mother are in perfect health.

“This is a great achievement in our effort to re-introduce the rare species of animals that had been completely wiped out of Uganda. The mother of baby Rhoda is called Laloyo and this is her second calf,” she said. “Her first calf is also a female called Madam. She was born on  August 26, 2017 at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.”

The first birth recorded at the 70-square kilometer rhino sanctuary was in 2009, three years after the introduction of a breeding programme for the rare white rhino species in Uganda under the management of Uganda Rhino Fund.

The sanctuary which is located 176 kilometres north of Kampala City in Nakasongola District, is Uganda’s breeding centre for the rare herbivores.

It’s part of an effort to boost the tourism industry and preserve the endangered white rhinos.

Uganda earned $1.6b (about Shs5.8 trillion) from tourism in the 2018/2019 financial year.

However, the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus early this year across the world, dealt a blow to the sector since the country’s borders were closed to visitors.

Rhoda’s father is a 20-year old rhino identified as Moja.

Moja is among the original six rhinos that were introduced at the sanctuary from Kenya.

In 2015, a five-year old rhino died at the sanctuary after a fight with another rhino.

 The Rhino Fund is expecting more two births before the end of 2020.

The expectant mothers are 20-year old Bella and 7-year-old Uhuru, according to Ms Genade.

Uganda lost its last indigenous rhino species in 1982 through poaching and civil wars.

Records at the Uganda Wild Life Data Bank show  that by 1985, there was no white rhino in the country’s numerous game parks, reserves and sanctuaries until the re-introduction of the breeding and release programme for the species in 2005, at the Ziwa Rhino Ranch.

UWA data bank indicates that a the gestation period of a female rhino ranges from 15 to 16 months.

Calves stay with their mothers for 3 to 5 years as they adapt to the wild environment and feeding as herbivores.

The animals have a life expectancy of about 45 years.