Sever, Z. (2021). Review: Wildlife translocations in Uganda. Submitted to Uganda wildlife authority (UWA) as a background towards "The Okapi restoration to Uganda project", January, 11 pp.

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January 2021
Review: Wildlife translocations in Uganda
Submitted to Uganda wildlife authority (UWA) as a background towards "The Okapi
restoration to Uganda project"
Zvi Sever, Ph. D., sever.zvi@gmail.com
Contents
9102 -Giraffes reintroduction-from Murchison Falls N.P. into Pian Upe W.R.......................1
-The transportation by Zoo Magazine- 2019.................................................................3
-UWA to move giraffes to Pian Upe-2019.....................................................................3
-The status of Uganda's Giraffes and the need for translocations/reintroduction-2019 .......3
-2017-2019 –Relocation of Rothschild’s giraffes- 2019.................................................4
-2015-2019–Trans location of Giraffas, Kobs and restocking Impalas and Zebra-2019 .......5
2018 – Translocation of Impalas into Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.........................................5
2017 - Giraffe translocations across the Nile River............................................................6
-100 Kobs were transferred from Murchison falls NP to Kidepo valley NP- 2017...............6
2016- Giraffe translocations from Murchison Falls NP to Mburi Valley NP ..........................7
-1997-2016 –records of Rothschild’s Giraffe translocations in and to Uganda-2016 ..........7
2015 - Giraffes were translocated to Lake Mburo National Park.........................................7
2009 -the re-establishment of the southern white rhino in Uganda....................................7
2004 - Translocation of white Rhinos to "Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary"........................................8
2001 –Moving elephants from settlements to the Murchison Falls NP. ...............................9
1997 - Promote the Rhino reintroduction to Kidepo Valley National Park............................9
1995 - Reintroduced chimpanzee repeatedly returned to human settlements.......................10
--------------------------------
9102 -Giraffes reintroduction-from Murchison Falls N.P. into Pian Upe W.R.
https://www.atta.travel/news/2019/11/giraffe-translocation-enhances-tourism-at-
uganda-wildlife-reserve/
Giraffes were translocated from Murchison Falls National Park into Pian Upe
Wildlife Reserve.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) released this week the first batch of 5
Rothschild giraffes into Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve in Eastern Uganda as part of the
reintroduction exercise that will see a total of 15 giraffes (5 male and 10 females)
reintroduced into the reserve.

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According to UWA Communications Manager Bashir Hangi, the giraffes were trans-
located from Murchison Falls National Park. Dr. Panta Kasoma, representing the
Chairman of the UWA Board of Trustees, presided over the release of the giraffes in
the wild. Present was a member of UWA Board of Trustees including Mr. Leonard
Wamakote of UWA management, leaders of districts neighboring the reserve, and
community members. Dr. Kasoma said that the re-introduction of giraffes in Pian Upe
Wildlife Reserve is in line with UWA’s strategic objectives among which is the
reintroduction of extinct species.
“This exercise- addresses one of our key conservation objective[s] of restoring and
managing viable populations of extinct or endangered species.
We are happy that we now have giraffes in Pian Upe after very many years, and we
hope this will further enhance tourism in the reserve.” he said. Dr. Kasoma further
added that in addition to increased tourism, other benefits such as employment, sale of
food and crafts, as well as accommodation, increased revenue sharing, and other
indirect economic benefits will be realized.
The 3-week translocation exercise will enhance the long-term survival of the species
and restore natural biodiversity and long-term economic benefits to the entire wildlife
conservation value chain. It will also enable communities with cultural attachment to
the giraffe to participate in its conservation, enhance the conservation value of Pian
Upe Wildlife Reserve by reintroducing one of its indigenous species that had become
extinct there, and diversifying tourism products with associated ecological and
economic benefits while at the same time re-enforcing and supplementing dwindling
populations to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem balance and utilization.
The translocation is being undertaken with support from the Giraffe Conservation
Foundation and Chayenne Mountain Zoo in the United States. Uganda Wildlife
Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) and Makerere University are also
participating in the exercise.
Pain Upe Wildlife Reserve- is the largest wildlife reserve and the second largest
protected area (after MFNP) in Uganda, covering an area of 2,043 km2. It was
established by a Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 220 of 1964 and amended by SI No.
136 of 1965 as a reserve. It is located in Nakapiripirit and Amudat districts and
bordered by Napak, Katakwi, Kumi, Kween, Bulambuli, and Bukedea districts.

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History has not been kind to the giraffes in Uganda. Rinderpest wiped out the giraffe
population in the Ankole region (western Uganda), while in the north and northeast,
the population decimation was largely a result of armed conflict, trophy hunting, and
poaching for meat. These incidents led to local extinction of giraffe in Matheniko by
the end of 1968 then Bokora and Pian Upe by the end of 1996. These threats have
now been greatly reduced by law enforcement in the protected areas, and through
significant veterinary monitoring and improved community relations.
According to GCF, Uganda hosts the largest number of nubian or rothschild’s giraffe
totaling 1,650. The species was listed as endangered on the IUCN (International
Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List in 2010.
-The transportation by Zoo Magazine- 2019
https://www.cmzoo.org/news/archive/operation-twiga-iv-establishing-a-new-
population-of-critically-endangered-nubian-giraffe-in-uganda/
-UWA to move giraffes to Pian Upe-2019
https://necjogha.com/2019/11/14/uwa-to-move-giraffes-to-pian-upe/
UWA to move giraffes to Pian Upe
-The status of Uganda's Giraffes and the need for translocations/reintroduction-
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419300083
All the eggs in one basket: A countrywide assessment of current and historical giraffe
population distribution in Uganda
Author -Michael B.Browna
Douglas T.Bolgerb
JulianFennessyc
Abstract
To design effective conservation and management strategies at the national scale, it is
important to consider population trends across space and time. Here we assessed the

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near threatened Rothschild's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) in Uganda.
We applied individual-based photographic surveys to generate abundance estimates
for all extant populations, using either mark-recapture estimates or
complete enumeration, and reviewed available historical records to reconstruct the
population history of giraffe in Uganda. Although anecdotal evidence from the early
20th century suggests giraffe were widely distributed and abundant, the earliest
quantitative estimates from the 1960's suggest a countrywide population of nearly
1,800 individuals across five major populations. Between the 1960's and the 1990's,
giraffe numbers in Uganda declined by approximately 90%; such that at the nadir in
the early 1990's, there were fewer than 100 giraffe and three of five populations went
locally extinct. Multiple lines of evidence attribute this decline to increased illegal
hunting caused by widespread political and social instability.
Populations rebounded from mid 1990's to the mid 2010's with current national
estimates of approximately 1,400 adult/subadult individuals, mostly attributed to
the growth of a single population in northern Murchison Falls National Park
(MFNP). Our recent mark-recapture estimates for northern MFNP indicate the
adult/subadult population size is 1,318 (±27.6 SE) giraffe – accounting for over 90%
of the current total population in Uganda, thereby creating an “all the eggs in one
basket” risk. Recent conservation measures by management authorities seek to
spread this risk by translocating individuals from MFNP to several other locations to
reinforce existing populations or create new populations. The increase in the
northern MFNP giraffe population suggests that it can serve as a source for these
translocations, and the understanding of historical distribution can be used to inform
future reintroduction and reinforcement efforts.
-2017-2019 –Relocation of Rothschild’s giraffes- 2019
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/09/bold-plan-to-save-africas-
giraffes-feature/
A bold plan to save Africa’s shrinking giraffe herds, October 2019
The mysterious, silent giants face increasing threats in Africa. Relocating animals to
create new populations could bolster some species but poses new risks.
The giraffe and 17 others were moved from the north of Uganda’s Murchison Falls
National Park—where poaching and new dams and roads threaten the species—across the
Nile to the park’s south end.
In the past two years- the GCF has orchestrated three other giraffe translocations,
including two inside Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park, which required ferrying
animals across the Nile River.
Wildlife officials load 3 Rothschild’s giraffes into a truck lined with leafy branches for the
animals to snack on during their journey to a new part of Uganda’s Murchison Falls
National Park. The trio was part of a project that relocated 19 of the endangered giraffes.
M O V I N G G I R A F F E S A C R O S S T H E N I L E

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Wildlife officials load three Rothschild’s giraffes into a truck lined with leafy branches for
the animals to snack on during their journey to a new part of Uganda’s Murchison Falls
National Park. The trio was part of a project that relocated 19 of the endangered giraffes
During a 2017 -translocation in Uganda, three animals died from stresses related to being
captured, and another died while it was being moved.
-2015-2019–Trans location of Giraffas, Kobs and restocking Impalas and Zebra-
2019
https://www.atta.travel/news/2019/11/giraffe-translocation-enhances-tourism-at-
uganda-wildlife-reserve/
In June 2015, eTN published a similar article in which giraffes were translocated to
Lake Mburo National Park in Western Uganda. Since then, UWA has embarked on
similar exercises involving the translocation of giraffes from the northern to the
southern bank, and over 50 kobs to Pian Upe. The UWA veterinary unit has also
completed the first phase of restocking impalas and zebra from Lake Mburo
National Park to Katonga Wildlife Reserve which forms part of the Kibale Forest
National Park Conservation Area.
2018 – Translocation of Impalas into Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve
https://www.atta.travel/news/2019/11/giraffe-translocation-enhances-tourism-at-
uganda-wildlife-reserve/
On behalf of the Executive Director, the UWA Deputy Director of Field Operations,
Mr. Charles Tumwesigye, said that in a bid to enhance the tourism potential of Pian
Upe Wildlife Reserve, UWA last year translocated 92 impalas into the reserve.
He added that UWA’s efforts to protect the wildlife in the reserve has also resulted in
increasing the numbers of- roan antelope, eland, zebra, hartebeest, and cheetah among
others.

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2017 - Giraffe translocations across the Nile River
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/giraffes-africas-gentle-giants-full-
episode/14675/
Full Episode Giraffes: Africa's Gentle Giants
S35 Ep3 | Premiere date: May 5, 2017 | 00:52:58
Because a population in Uganda, called Rothchild’s giraffes, are the same type as the Nubian
and are endangered due to poaching and oil drilling plans, Fennessy and the Uganda Wildlife
Authority work out an ambitious plan to protect the species.
A team of Ugandan veterinarians and park rangers go through training in how to safely
capture a herd of young, healthy females and a few males. They guide them into trucks,
drive four hours to the Nile River, cross via a ferry, and then release them in a safer habitat
to breed far from the oil drilling. The film captures all the drama of such a difficult and
dangerous operation in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park as the Fennessys and the
team hope a successful relocation will prompt more missions to protect these rare giraffes
for generations.
Giraffe calves
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/baby-giraffes-spotted-translocation-uganda/16249/
One of the two new giraffe calves pictured above. Photo: © Giraffe Conservation
Foundation
When Giraffes: Africa’s Gentle Giants first premiered on NATURE in 2016, the film exposed
the shocking fact that giraffe populations in Africa had fallen by 40 percent in just two
decades, prompting the mission to move a herd of rare Rothschild’s giraffes across the Nile
River to a safer location. After two ambitious translocations across the Nile River in Uganda,
we’re thrilled to share the news that two giraffe calves were spotted on the south side of
the Nile River. These are the first recorded babies of the translocated giraffe population.
-100 Kobs were transferred from Murchison falls NP to Kidepo valley NP -2017
https://www.primeugandasafaris.com/blog/enhancing-ecological-diversity-story-
internal-animal-translocation-uganda-uganda-safari-news.html

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2016- Giraffe translocations from Murchison Falls NP to Mburi Valley NP
https://www.primeugandasafaris.com/blog/enhancing-ecological-diversity-story-
internal-animal-translocation-uganda-uganda-safari-news.html
-1997-2016 –records of Rothschild’s Giraffe translocations in and to Uganda-
2016
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328855133_Rothschild's_giraffe_Giraffa_camelo
pardalis_rothschildi_Linnaeus_1758_in_East_Africa_A_review_of_population_trends_taxon
omy_and_conservation_status
Raw. Z.(2018) Rothschild’s giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi (Linnaeus, 1758) in
East Africa: A review of population trends, taxonomy and conservation status.
on trends, taxonomy and conservation status
November 2018, By Zoe Raw, African Journal of Ecology 57(1)
DOI: 10.1111/aje.12578
Table 3 -shows the lists of all available records of Rothschild’s giraffe translocations
throughout Kenya and Uganda.
1997- from Lake Nakuru in Kenya to Kidepu valley NP – 3 specimens
2015- from Murchison falls NP to Lake Mburu NP - 15 specimens
2016- in Murchison falls NP from north to south side of Nile river - 17 specimens
2015 - Giraffes were translocated to Lake Mburo National Park
https://www.atta.travel/news/2019/11/giraffe-translocation-enhances-tourism-at-
uganda-wildlife-reserve/
In June 2015, eTN published a similar article in which giraffes were translocated to
Lake Mburo National Park in Western Uganda.
2009 -the re-establishment of the southern white rhino in Uganda
http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/rhinotransguidelines.pdf
IUCN-Guidelines for the in situ Re-introduction and Translocation of African and Asian
Rhinoceros Edited by Richard H Emslie, Rajan Amin & Richard Kock. 2009. 117 pp.
See pages: 11; 23; 27; 43;
p. 11-
Strictly speaking the re-establishment of southern white rhino in Uganda is an
introduction; as in this case a population of southern white rhino, Ceratotherium simum
simum, has been established outside its natural range instead of re-introducing the

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indigenous northern white rhino subspecies, C. s. cottoni due to the latter’s extreme rarity
and the almost zero probability of Uganda getting any founder C. s. cottoni animals for the
foreseeable future, and possibly ever.
At the time of writing, the future survival of C. s. cottoni is precarious, and should this
subspecies go extinct, the introduction of southern white rhino to Uganda would in effect
have been a substitution.
p. 23-
White rhino translocation history in East Africa
Out of range southern white rhino were introduced to a number of locations in Kenya and
have since bred well with translocation contributing to further increases in numbers and
range.
Due to the fact that it was not possible to get indigenous northern white rhino to re-
introduce into Uganda, southern white rhino from Kenya have helped to re-establish this
species in Uganda. In Kenya, government policy is to support a white rhino population for
the purpose of regional establishment, and with private ownership possible for this species,
it is a useful tool for tourism and can help drive private sector and community wildlife
conservation initiatives.
The white rhino is a more visible and manageable species than the black rhino, making it an
attractive commercial proposition. While the subspecies is out of range, the species is
probably not alien to Kenya. This is because the two white rhino subspecies are not likely to
have evolved independently, and therefore sometime in the past, there must have been a
continuous distribution of white rhino from east-central Africa to southern Africa prior to
the ranges of the two current subspecies becoming widely separated. A fossilized skull of a
white rhino from Oldupai Gorge in northern Tanzania and a fossilised jaw bone in Kenya
supports this logical conclusion. Thus- if one were to go back far enough in time, it is
probable that some form of white rhino were indigenous to Kenya.
p. 27-
Black rhino translocation history in East Africa
Historically the eastern black rhino subspecies D. b. michaeli -ranged from southern Sudan,
Ethiopia, and Somalia through Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and into north-central Tanzania
(Emslie & Brooks, 1999), but in 2007 it is only found in Kenya, Tanzania and there maybe
one rhino remaining in Rwanda. A further Key2-rated out of range population has also been
established in South Africa.
p. 43-
*Rhinos should be of the correct subspecies for the proposed recipient area, with the
possible exception being where it may no longer be possible to source founder rhino of the
indigenous subspecies but where founder rhino of another subspecies are available to at
least allow the species to be re-introduced (e.g. where it was not possible to obtain
northern white rhino to reintroduce into Uganda).
2004 - Translocation of white Rhinos to "Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary"
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1940082918806805
In 2002, an area in central Uganda was selected as suitable for white rhinos due to its “short
grassland in open and wooded areas” and a predicted ability to support at least 20 animals
(see Brett, 2002). A 64.2-km2 fenced ranch was established in 2004 and is now called “Ziwa

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Rhino Sanctuary” (hereafter “Ziwa,” Figure 1, inset). Six rhinos were introduced: four from
the Solio Ranch in Kenya and two from the Disney Animal Kingdom, USA.
2001 –Moving elephants from settlements to the Murchison Falls NP.
No internet site- for PDF write the article headline.
Easton, J. (2009). Feasibility report for the re-introduction of African elephants to
Nyungwe national park, Rwanda. WCS Rwanda. 56 pp.
p. 16-
p. 36- Let us ask for exchange- getting Okapi and deliver Elephants..
-If possible-see:
Wambwa, E., Manyibe, T., Litoroh, M., Gakuya, F. & Kanyingi, J. (2001). Resolving
humanelephant conflict in Luwero District, Uganda, through elephant translocation.—
Pachyderm 31: 58-62.
1997 - Promote the Rhino reintroduction to Kidepo Valley National Park
https://www.thegef.org/sites/default/files/project_documents/12-20-
12%2520Project%2520Document%2520PAD%2520resub.pdf
Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Threatened Savanna Woodland in the Kidepo
Critical Landscape in North Eastern Uganda. 2014. 137 pp.
p. 35.-
114. Wildlife Poaching. Wildlife in KVNP and other PAs in Uganda suffered a great
deal during the 1970s and early 1980s when poaching was intensified by the
breakdown of law and general order in the country. There were 50 black rhinos
(Bicornis bicornis) in KVNP in 1971 but only 16 remained in 1978 due to heavy
poaching for rhino horn. The last rhino was seen in 1983, and recent rhino
reintroductions to Uganda have been carried out in Naksongola District.

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p. 66-
237. The Rhino fund is a partnership with UWA established in 1997 to promote the
reintroduction of rhinoceros to their original habitat in protected areas (including Kidepo
Valley National Park); promote breeding programs to ensure the long term viability of
reintroduced rhinoceros populations; to educate district governments and local
communities about rhinos and other endangered species; and to generate funds in support
of translocation, protection, and management of the reintroduced rhinoceros
populations. For this project, the Rhino Fund will provide technical support and co-finance
improved security, enforcement and training of the rangers.
1995 - Reintroduced chimpanzee repeatedly returned to human settlements
https://www.conservationevidence.com/intervention/view/1553
Conduct veterinary screens of animals before reintroducing/translocating them
Four studies, including three before-and-after studies, in Liberia, the Republilc of Congo and
Guinea found that most reintroduced chimpanzees that underwent veterinary screens,
alongside other interventions, survived over 1-5 years. One before and after study in
Uganda found that a reintroduced chimpanzee repeatedly returned to human settlements
after undergoing pre-release veterinary screens, alongside other interventions.
A- before-and-after study in 1995 in Kibale National Park, Uganda found that a
female captive, 4-6 year old wild-born chimpanzee Pan troglodytes
schweinfurthii that underwent veterinary screens alongside other interventions,
repeatedly returned to human settlements after her release and was subsequently
returned to captivity. Eight days after her initial release, she left the forest and was
brought back into the forest. The following ten days, she travelled, fed, nested and
engaged in social activities with the wild community. During this time, she increased
ranging distance to humans and use of height, and visually monitored humans less
regularly. However, the proportion of adult males in her vicinity decreased and she
increasingly spent time alone. She was returned to captivity six weeks after her
release.
A veterinary team administered a test of skin reactivity to tuberculin antigen to which
she tested negative prior to her release. She underwent pre-release training for three
weeks before reintroduction into habitat with a resident wild community. During this
time, she was also quarantined. At least ten community members worked on the
project. The study does not distinguish between the effects of the different
interventions mentioned above.
-see also:
Junker, J., Kühl, H. S., Orth, L., Smith, R. K., Petrovan, S. O., & Sutherland, W. J.,(2020)
Primate conservation. Chapter 7 in Sutherland, W. J., Dicks, L. V., Silviu O. Petrovan, S. O.,
and Smith, R. K., (Eds.) What works in conservation. In: Open book publishers site
https://www.openbookpublishers.com/htmlreader/978-1-78374-833-4/ch7.xhtml
one of the editors- Andrew J. Plumptre, Wildlife Conservation Society, Uganda

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p. 456-
Implement quarantine for primates before reintroduction/translocation
Six studies, including four before-and-after studies, in Brazil, Madagascar, Malaysia and
Indonesia have found- that most reintroduced primates did not survive or their population
size decreased over periods ranging from months up to seven years post-release, despite
being quarantined before release, alongside other interventions. However, two before-and-
after studies in Indonesia, the Republic of Congo and Gabon found that most orangutans and
gorillas that underwent quarantine -survived over a period ranging from three months to 10
years. One before-and-after study in Uganda found that one reintroduced chimpanzee
repeatedly returned to human settlements after being quarantined before release alongside
other interventions. Assessment: unknown effectiveness — limited evidence (effectiveness
50%; certainty 10%; harms 0%).
Ref. for Uganda:
Implement quarantine for primates before reintroduction/translocation - Conservation
Evidence
A before-and-after-trial in 1995 in Kibale National Park,-
Uganda found that a female captive, 4-6 year old wild-born chimpanzee Pan troglodytes
schweinfurthii that was quarantined before reintroduction into a human-habituated
community of wild chimpanzees- alongside other interventions, repeatedly returned to
human settlements post-release and was subsequently returned to captivity. Eight days
after the initial release, she left the forest for the first time and was brought back into the
forest. For the following ten days, she travelled, fed, nested and engaged in social activities
with the wild chimpanzees. During this time, she increased ranging distance to humans and
use of height, and visually monitored humans less regularly. However, the proportion of
adult males in her vicinity decreased and she increasingly spent time alone. She was
returned to captivity six weeks after her release. She was quarantined from humans, other
than her caretakers, and wild chimpanzees and underwent a tuberculosis test. During this
time, she also underwent pre-release training for three weeks before reintroduction into
habitat with a resident wild community. At least ten community members worked on the
project. The study does not distinguish between the effects of the different interventions
mentioned above
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Treves, A. & Naughoton-Treves, L. (1997). Case study of chimpanzee recovered from
poachers and temporarily released with wild conspecific. Primates, 38: 315-324.