Uganda Conservation Foundation

10/05/2026

01/05/2026

This Labour Day, we honour the commitment and sacrifice of workers across the board — especially those who dedicate themselves to safeguarding and conserving Uganda's heritage. Happy

29/04/2026

Mark your calendars for this year's Wildlife Ranger Challenge!

The Wildlife Ranger Challenge is a unique fundraising experience that puts you side by side with the dedicated rangers who guard our parks and protect the animals.

More than a run, it shows solidarity with the people on the frontlines of wildlife conservation.

Save the date: 19th September.

Registration details and more information will come soon.

Watch this space and start warming up those legs! Let's make this year's Wildlife Ranger Challenge one to remember! 🏃‍♂️

16/04/2026

Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF) invites applications for the Marketing, Communications, and Media Manager position.

As UCF continues to expand its impact, there is a growing need to strengthen its global visibility, fundraising capacity, and strategic partnerships. Effective marketing, communications, and media engagement are critical to mobilizing resources, engaging donors, and positioning UCF as a leading conservation organisation in Africa.

The Marketing, Communications, and Media Manager will lead the development and implementation of an integrated communications strategy that directly supports fundraising, donor engagement, events, and organisational growth, while enhancing UCF’s brand, visibility, and influence.

Please click the link below to download the detailed job description and application procedures.

https://ugandacf.org/were-hiring-marketing-communications-and-media-manager/

18/03/2026

Incredible scenes and rhino are now back in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Well done everyone!

Uganda Wildlife Authority

18/03/2026

And just like that, rhinos are back on Kidepo’s soil once again! 🦏

Tired and understandably a little disoriented, these two sub-adult males have begun their journey in one of Africa’s most breathtaking landscapes.

Born at Ziwa Rhino & Wildlife Ranch, they are living proof of the success of UWA’s rhino conservation strategy helping restore Uganda’s rhino populations to protected areas.

Reaching this milestone has taken years of careful planning, detailed assessments, and collaboration, with guidance from the IUCN Rhino Specialist Group and approval from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Now, Kidepo is their home.

With new sights, unfamiliar scents, and curious neighbours like elephants and buffalo, this marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. What will the wild residents make of their new companions?

This is only the beginning of their story.

UWA, together with the Morungole Community Conservancy scouts, is already on the ground monitoring closely and ensuring their safety every step of the way.

If you want to visit Kidepo, perhaps visit Wildplaces Africa who have the stunning Apoka Safari lodge. Or, Savannah Safari Lodge https://naturelodgesuganda.com/kidepo-savannah-lodge/



Photos: Paul Hilton/ Global Conservation / UCF
has been supporting and through the Uganda Conservation Foundation over the past decade and it is proud to be part of this historical moment. Images Paul Hilton Photographer for Global Conservation

17/03/2026

Only a few of the Uganda Wildlife Authority vets and rangers supporting the return of rhinos to Kidepo were alive when the last rhino was poached in 1983.

Today, a determined new generation is restoring Uganda’s protected areas and wildlife a generation that truly lives the UWA slogan: “Conserve for Generations.”

Dr. Crispus Singoma, Principal Vet at Kidepo Valley National Park, is no stranger to pushing boundaries. In just three years as a young vet in Murchison Falls, he has rescued over 500 animals from snares and traps. He has also trained at the Zimbabwe Wild Capture Course in Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, supported rhino work in Akagera National Park (Rwanda), and collaborated in Kenya with Dr. Matthew Mutinda.

This morning, Dr. Crispus shared:
“I feel like I am dreaming, this opportunity, this privilege for my country and profession. My heart is pumping so hard… let’s do it!”

Translocating a rhino requires experience and as these images show, Uganda’s teams are more than ready. 450km of careful driving - vets ensuring the rhino are safe.......

We wish the entire team the very best.

As Dr. Eric Enyel, Chief Warden of Kidepo Valley National Park, reflected:

“After 43 years rhino are returning to Kidepo. I come from Lira, not far away, where the rhino is our town’s totem. Rhino will set foot on Karamojas soil once again. The countdown is on. I cannot thank the partners, donors, and former Chief Warden Richard Muhabwe enough.”



Photos: Paul Hilton / Global Conservation / UCF

has been supporting Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley National Parks through the Uganda Conservation Foundation over the past decade and it is proud of be part of this historical moment. Images for Global Conservation

17/03/2026

Rhinos at Ziwa Rhino & Wildlife Ranch, Uganda, photographed on 16 March 2026.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary stands at the center of one of Uganda’s most remarkable conservation recoveries and the return of rhinos to the majestic Kidepo Valley National Park.

Rhinos once roamed widely across the country, but by 1982 they had been wiped out by poaching, armed conflict, and the collapse of wildlife protection.

Ziwa was established in 2005 on the Roy family’s former cattle ranch through a partnership between the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rhino Fund Uganda, with Captain Joe Roy’s advocacy and fundraising playing a pivotal role. Yvonne Verkaik was also instrumental in leading the programme, alongside Professor Wolfgang Thome, the first Chair of Rhino Fund Uganda.

With international support, two rhinos were sourced from the United States and four from Kenya, marking the beginning of rhino reintroduction in Uganda, with the long-term goal of restoring populations to protected areas.

After two decades of dedicated stewardship by the Roy family, the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and many partners and supporters, the population has grown to 54 rhinos. Translocations back into the wild have now begun. Earlier in 2026, four rhinos were moved to Ajai Wildlife Reserve in West Nile, the former range of the northern white rhino.

Today marks another historic milestone, as eight rhinos begin their translocation to Kidepo Valley National Park, more than 43 years after rhinos were last seen there.

If you'd like to visit Ziwa: https://ziwarhinoandwildliferanch.com/

We acknowledge and thank the many organisations and individuals involved in making the return of rhinos to Kidepo possible:



Photo: Paul Hilton / Global Conservation / UCF

11/03/2026

They tried to smuggle Uganda’s national bird across the border.

But they didn’t succeed.

In a successful intelligence-led operation in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Uganda Wildlife Authority, supported by the Uganda Conservation Foundation, disrupted a wildlife trafficking network attempting to illegally trade Crested Cranes to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The rescued cranes are now safely in the care of UWA veterinarians and recovering well.

Five suspects have been arrested and will face prosecution.

The Crested Crane is more than just a beautiful bird.

It is a powerful national symbol featured at the centre of Uganda’s flag. Its raised leg represents a country that is always moving forward.

This rescue is a testament to the courage and dedication of the teams working tirelessly to protect Uganda’s wildlife and natural heritage.

But wildlife protection requires constant vigilance, resources, and support.
Every patrol vehicle, investigation, rescue operation, and veterinary intervention helps safeguard the species that make Uganda extraordinary.

If this story inspires you, share it and help raise awareness for wildlife protection.
Thank you to Toyota Uganda CFAO Mobility Uganda for supporting our teams – protecting wildlife, tourism, development and Uganda’s heritage.

Together we can protect what matters most.

09/03/2026

🦏 Rhinos are returning to Kidepo.

Last week marked a major milestone for rhino conservation in Uganda, as the Rhino Sanctuary in Kidepo Valley National Park was officially handed over to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

The 18.2 km² fenced sanctuary is a critical step toward achieving Uganda’s National Rhino Conservation and Management Strategy (2018–2028), restoring rhinos to protected landscapes where they once roamed.

NRT CEO Vishal Shah formally handed over the completion report and sanctuary to Charles Tumwesigye, Commissioner of Field Operations at , marking the beginning of a new chapter in Uganda’s rhino recovery efforts.

In the coming weeks, white rhinos from the successful Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary will be relocated to Kidepo. Having the more placid and easily managed white rhino at first, will help build Uganda’s rhino management capacity before black rhinos follow returning to this landscape after more than 40 years of absence.

This milestone reflects the power of collaboration. The sanctuary fence was funded by Rangelands Trust, with support from partners including the Great Plains Foundation, Rhino Recovery Fund, Gatinais Foundation, WildLandscapes International, Uganda Conservation Foundation, and the European Union through the NaturAfrica programme.

Local communities are central to this effort. Members of the Morungole Community Conservancy are actively involved in the programme from fence construction to supporting broader conservation initiatives across the landscape.
Special thanks to , , , and for helping make this possible.

This milestone highlights the strength of collaboration under the EU NaturAfrica programme, whose support helps create the enabling conditions for the reintroduction of rhinos to the landscape.

08/03/2026

Today, we celebrate the women who have chosen one of the most demanding callings on earth: protecting our wildlife and landscapes.

They endure harsh terrain, extreme weather, and work in environments filled with traps and real danger so animals can continue to roam and ecosystems can flourish.

We applaud these women for rising and shining in what was once a male-dominated field, proving each day the incredible impact they bring to conservation.

Happy Women’s Day to all the women in conservation.