MADI-OKOLLO, Uganda — Wildlife officials on Monday began the historic translocation of white rhinos to Ajai Wildlife Reserve, marking the return of the species to a landscape where they have been extinct for decades.
The move, which commenced Jan. 5, is being hailed by conservationists and local leaders as a milestone in Uganda’s efforts to restore its natural heritage. Ajai Wildlife Reserve was once the stronghold of the country’s rhino population; by 1965, it hosted 60 of the remaining 80 rhinos in Uganda. However, poaching and civil insecurity during the late 1970s and early 1980s completely wiped out the species from the wild.
Suleiman Matua, a local conservation activist, said the reintroduction is a restoration of the ecosystem’s natural heritage, noting that rhinos inhabited the region long before Ajai was formally gazetted as a protected area.
The return of the animals is expected to provide an economic boost to northwestern Uganda. William Lematia, the youth council chairperson for Madi-Okollo District, said the presence of rhinos will likely stimulate tourism and increase local revenue in a region that has historically struggled with collection.
According to Bashir Hangi, a spokesperson for the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the reserve is fully prepared for the new inhabitants. Officials have trained a specialized management team, enhanced security, established water points and managed the habitat to ensure sufficient forage.
Uganda’s rhino recovery has been a decades-long project. After the species was declared extinct in the wild, the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was established to breed a nucleus population. Starting with just six southern white rhinos in 2005, the national population grew to 59 by December 2025. This growth has finally allowed for the reintroduction of the animals into state-protected reserves like Ajai.
Sunday Dubo Isaac, the local council chairperson for Ogoko Sub-County, said the community feels a renewed sense of pride and ownership. For many young residents, this translocation offers the first opportunity to see the animals in their natural habitat rather than in textbooks or fenced sanctuaries.
