Reviving rhinos in Uganda
September 18, 2018
Project goal: Breeding a population of rhinos to be introduced to the wild in 11 well-protected national parks. It could take 20-30 years to reach that goal.
Project size: 70 square kilometers (27 square miles) in Uganda's northeast in an area protected by NGO Rhino Fund Uganda. Seventy wildlife rangers work in the park.
Project partner: The local community is being integrated into the project. Farmers may use the Rhino Fund's land to graze their cattle. The NGO also built a primary school on its land. Augsburg Zoo in Germany supports the project.
Rhinos are a highly threatened species. Prized for their horn, which is made from keratin and is a popular ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, they're a prime target for poachers. In Uganda, they were once abundant, but the last of the animals fell victim to illegal hunters in the 1980s.
Rhino Fund Uganda,a non-governmental conservation organization, is trying to revive the species in the East African nation by breeding rhinos brought in from other countries. Day and night, the rangers watch over the animals, while the local community profits from the income generated by their presence. Rhinos attract a lot of visitors. Can the NGO help make the animal a common sight in Uganda again?
A film by Julia Henrichmann