There is exciting news from Rhino Fund Uganda: On December 26, 2016, their fourth Rhino of 2016 was born. The young male Southern White Rhino was named Noel and is becoming a valuable member of the herd managed by Rhino Fund Uganda at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

The timing of his birth during the Christmas season inspired Noel’s name. Staffers say it is befitting that he was born on December 26, considering his mother's name, Malaika, means “angel.”

Uganda was once the only place in East Africa where both White and Black Rhinos lived. Both species were hunted intensively during the British colonial period, and they were completely wiped out during the rule of Idi Amin in the 1970s. When Amin came to power in 1971, there were around 100 White and 300 Black Rhinos in northern Uganda. When he was overthrown eight years later in Uganda, only a handful of the Rhinos remained. By the early 1980s, there were none.

Thanks to organizations like Rhino Fund Uganda, the country’s fragile Rhino population is making a comeback. In 2005, Rhino Fund Uganda and the Uganda Wildlife Authority reintroduced Rhinos at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary - a safe environment for them to live and breed in peace.

Nineteen Rhinos now live at the 7,000 sq km Sanctuary and are guarded by 80 park rangers, along with 24- hour security guards. Travelers can visit Noel and his family at Ziwa to learn more about Rhinos and the conservation efforts in place in Uganda to ensure they are around for future generations.

Photo Credits: Rhino Fund Uganda