Uganda will hold a rhino naming ceremony in September as part of efforts to restore a species once extinct in the country, a government official said.
The event, expected to raise over $ 11 million, will take place on Sept. 22 at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola district. It will coincide with World Rhino Day, an annual global campaign to promote rhino protection, said Martin Mugara, minister of state for Tourism.
“Rhinos are not only part of our natural heritage, they are an asset that can drive tourism, jobs, and sustainable growth for our communities,” Mugara said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“This naming ceremony is an opportunity for citizens, companies, and development partners to directly contribute towards rhino conservation.”
The minister noted that the ceremony will also mark the start of translocating rhinos from Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to Ajai Wildlife Reserve, where they once roamed decades ago before becoming extinct.
According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, more than 48 southern white rhinos and 17 juveniles born between 2021 and 2024 are ready to be named.
The agency also said that Rhinos disappeared from Uganda’s wild in the early 1980s due to poaching and civil unrest, but breeding programs launched in 2004 have driven a steady recovery.
-Xinhua
