Last night the third baby rhino was born on the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, bringing the total population now to six adult parents and three young ones. From first information received, it would appear that the newly born is a young bull, and all hope now is fresh that future pregnancies of the three females a couple of years from now will produce the much-needed girls to ensure the projected growth of the population on Ziwa and the full success of the breeding program.
It is also understood that the naming will likely to be put out for bid with corporate entities or individuals being able to support the conservation and breeding efforts on Ziwa with a substantial cash boost, against having their chosen name attached to the latest little rhino.
Angie Genade, executive director of the Rhino Fund Uganda and the person in charge at the sanctuary, has managed to get an early picture of mother and son, from a safe distance apparently, as rhino mothers are fiercely protective of their offspring, and eTN has the pleasure of showing the picture here with her kind permission. Anyone interested in the naming should contact her via
an***@rh*******.org
for more information.
Meanwhile congratulations to the board of the Rhino Fund, the management, and all staff at the sanctuary for their extraordinary achievements, which saw three births in rapid succession over the past few months.
The sanctuary is about 100 miles from Kampala along a good tarmac highway enroute to the Murchisons Falls National Park and is open to visitors on a daily basis. It offers accommodation and meals and arranges for walking safaris to see the prized animals close up. Visits to the first-born, little rhino are now possible, and it is expected that the veterinarians and wardens will clear visits to the second-born rhino soon, as the mother gradually becomes less aggressive again and tolerates vehicles and visitors by foot into her wider vicinity.