Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) Tours, Uganda Wildlife Safaris and Tours
Located on the shores of the world's second-largest freshwater body, Lake Victoria in Entebbe just a 40-minute drive from Kampala City, Uganda's Capital, and near Uganda's international gateway, Entebbe International Airport, is the thrilling Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC). The Center is fun for both young and adults. A visit to the Center is a small piece of what you find in Uganda's finest National Parks.
While it functions primarily as a zoo, this center is a world-class animal refuge that has benefited from international assistance in recent years. Most of the animals on display were once injured or were recovered from poachers and traffickers. Not far from the Center is Uganda's first botanical garden, the Entebbe Botanical Gardens which is in itself a magical wonder for nature lovers.
UWEC popularly known as "Entebbe Zoo" was opened in 1952, as a reception center for wild animals that were found as casualties (sick, injured, orphaned, confiscated from illegal trade). In the early 1960s, it changed its role to a zoo where several non-indigenous species, including bears and tigers, were kept as an attraction.
With the restructuring of wildlife management in the country in 1994, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Trust (UWECT) was founded, to take over the zoo and to develop it with an emphasis on Conservation Education. The Centre's location on the edge of Lake Victoria, its rich vegetation, and its surprisingly wide range of birds, butterflies, and other free and roaming animals make it an attractive venue for education and Uganda safari enthusiasts.
Entebbe Zoo offers a perfect introduction to Uganda’s incredible biodiversity and given its proximity to the capital Kampala, is one of the most visited and popular tourist sites in Uganda. The Centre is a successful mix of a zoo and a safari park because most of the animals live in large and spacious enclosures that are similar to their natural habitats.
Star attractions include chimpanzees (a good alternative to pricier Ngamba Island), southern white rhinos, lions, leopards, waterbucks, monkeys, zebras, Uganda kob, tigers, and different bird species such as shoebill storks, Egyptian geese, ostrich, African fish eagle, and peacock among others. Keep an eye out for the baby elephant wandering about too.
The Entebbe Zoo sits on land that is about 72 acres in size with a network of walkways to the different animal enclosures and a large natural forest. The zoo stands out from similar establishments in other countries because of its ideal location along the shores of Lake Victoria. The Centre also has an animal breeding program in place for endangered species and an animal veterinary hospital.
UWEC contributes to wildlife research and educating the public about the importance of wildlife conservation. The Centre has grown in size and given its ideal location, is considered one of the best places for showcasing Africa’s wildlife.
Things to do at the Center:
A variety of programs gets you closer to the animals, including chimp encounters, behind-the-scenes tours, and zookeeper for the day; There are long-term volunteering opportunities and it has on-site lodging.
Behind the Scenes Experience:
This experience is offered to tourists who are interested in more than just the sights and sounds of the animals at the Centre. The experience offers visitors a rare opportunity to interact closely with many of the animals at the Centre while getting to know their life stories. You will observe their behavior and routine activities from the time they wake up till they retire to their enclosures. The Behind the Scenes Tour costs $70 per person.
Keeper’s Guided Tour:
If you choose to go for the Keeper’s Guided tour, you will be assigned a Caretaker who will share all the details about the Center before taking you to visit all the animal enclosures. You will have access to all sections of the Centre including the staff offices and other private facilities. During the tour, you will get close and personal with animals like Kabira the Lion, Sushi the Shoebill Stork, Mutagama the lioness, Albert the giraffe, Charlie the Elephant, and Chimpanzees like Ndugu. The Keeper’s Guided tour takes about three hours and generally involves less work. The Keeper’s Guided Tour costs $40 per person.
Zoo Keeper for a day experience:
The Keeper for a Day option involves more work with the animals and attempts to allow you to experience what the caretakers go through while taking care of the animals at the zoo. The program starts with attending the Keepers' briefing, getting the animal food ready, loading it into the zoo tractor, and taking them to the different animal enclosures. You will help serve the animals food and record their overall behavior for any signs of stress or sickness. The Keeper for a day experience costs $150 per person.
Zoo Vet for the Day Experience:
This experience is open to everyone but will be supervised by the resident Veterinary doctor. After the usual briefing, the animal doctor will lead you to the animal enclosures for daily health checks. You will observe how the health checks are done and may be involved in transporting one of the animals back to a holding facility for more comprehensive checks.
Guided Tours:
A guided tour of the Entebbe Zoo can take half a day for those who want an in-depth and more educative experience. A Guide can take you around the facility and show you all the animals while answering all your questions. Guides request as little as $10 for their service. Please note that you can tour the place on your own without the assistance of a Guide like most of the visitors after paying the entrance fee.
Chimpanzee Habituation Experience:
Although Uganda has one of the largest populations of chimpanzees in the world, their numbers are declining rapidly. The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre organizes chimp-specific tours for interested visitors at an extra cost. Once you get medical clearance, you will be assigned a Caretaker to Guide you while ensuring that you are involved in feeding the primates. If there are newly rescued chimps, you might be lucky to be involved in what is known as the chimpanzee habituation experience. This experience is designed to allow newly introduced chimps to get used to being comfortable around humans. The highly educative Chimpanzee Close-up tour costs $290 per person.
Volunteering:
The Entebbe Zoo accepts volunteers from every part of the globe for one week to a few months. The Volunteer program is designed to offer participants hands-on experience working closely with all animals at the zoo including rhinos, chimpanzees, reptiles, and birds. The Volunteer is also expected to take part in cleaning animal enclosures, feeding the animals, fundraising efforts, program development, student training, research, and guiding guests around the facility. To volunteer for a week or more, you need to contact the Uganda Wildlife Education Center in advance. All Volunteers pay a fee of $1500 to cover accommodation, food, airport pickup, and trips to islands in Lake Victoria.
Forest Trail and bird watching:
The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre is located in an area with remarkable scenery and over 1km of untouched forest. After visiting the animal enclosures, one can also go for a nature walk along the forest trail for a quieter encounter with butterflies, chameleons, birds, small primates, and plants. You can choose to hire a Guide to move with you as he/she explains the importance of each of the plants and their important medicinal values. The forest is safe and the walk can take between 1 to 2 hours during which time you will be exposed to over 100 species of birds.
Donkey, Camel, and Boat rides:
If you are planning to visit the zoo with children, then they should prepare to take part in many activities. The Centre arranges donkey and camel rides at a small fee. Children also have a small park with playing equipment. Adults and birders can take a boat along the shores of Lake Victoria for a chance to spot some of Uganda’s great water birds.
Entrance Costs:
The Entrance fee to Entebbe Zoo is $15 for adult non-residents and $10 for children who are non-residents. Adult Ugandans pay 10,000 shillings while children pay 5,000 shillings. There is a separate rate for schools and tertiary institutions who visit the Centre for educational purposes.
Zoo operating hours:
The Entebbe Zoom opening hours are between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm. You will not be allowed in if you show up at 6:00 pm. For the best experience and time with the animals, we recommend that you visit by 4:00 pm.
Where to Stay:
The Center has several accommodation facilities within its premises. The cottages are typical African Bandas which are self-contained and cost about $30, and each Banda is well-constructed, spacious, and furnished. There are also large dorms for the budget traveler and groups of students. Those who want more luxury hotels and lodges will need to book the hotels outside the zoo in the surrounding Entebbe town areas.
Arrange and Book with Ultimate Wild Safaris for the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (Entebbe Zoo) tour.
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