How to keep safe during Rhino tracking in Uganda
How to keep safe during Rhino tracking in Uganda
Rhino tracking in Uganda is offered at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and is one of the highly recommended wildlife activities to be included on a Uganda Safari Tour. The sanctuary is located near Murchison Falls National Park and is famous for the only place in Uganda to find Rhinos in the wild. It was started after all Rhinos were poached in the early 1980s, following the 1970s civil unrests. Tracking Rhinos on foot is a thrilling adventure done in the company of experienced sanctuary staff/guides.
Rhinos are admirable and peaceful animals but it’s the thought of a danger they might cause when they charge that any intending tourist has to seek for those tips on how to keep safe. Well aware that tracking is on foot, there seems a narrow escape save for the guides that can quickly scare them off with the guns.
It’s on record that most tourists to Uganda are drawn more by Gorilla trekking in the national parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga, they are acquainted with the Gorilla trekking rules and regulations. Relatedly and also important, is to know how to keep safe during Rhino tracking because just like the Mountain Gorillas, Rhinos are wild animals whose moods can hardly be predicted.
Tips to keeping safe during a Rhino walking safari
- Rhinos are irked by sudden sounds, light and getting close to them which might prompt their self-defense. To avoid irritating them, try to keep a distance and always stick with the group under the leadership of a guide/ranger.
- Rhino tracking is guided by the authorized sanctuary guides. Any individual/unguided tracking is considered illegal.
- Avoid any attempts of feeding or even touching the animals. This is for your own safety and that of the animals.
- Follow the instructions given to you by the sanctuary guides during briefing.
- Littering in the sanctuary is strictly prohibited. Use the available bins to dispose off all the litter.
- Activities like cycling and jogging should not be done anywhere and anytime in the sanctuary.
Best time for a Rhino walking safari in Uganda
Rhino tracking tours in Uganda are all year round because the sanctuary is open and accessible to visitors throughout the year. However, trekking is best done when the ground/jungles are drier and this can be in the months of June to mid-October and December to February.