Uganda Wildlife Education Center
Uanda Wildlife Education Centre : is located along the shoreline in Entebbe 10 minutes’ drive from Entebbe International Airport. To begin with, Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Center was founded in the 1952. Basically, it was to accommodate confiscated and injured wildlife and to look after orphan animals confiscated from smugglers. However, in 1962 a national zoo was created and on May 5 1994 it was formed as a trust to revive the neglected Entebbe Zoo. Furthermore, it was to provide leadership in educating Ugandans about the benefits of conserving the country’s biodiversity.
UWEC is neither a zoo nor a safari park, but a center where wildlife education is combined with leisure. Not only can you observe the most exciting indigenous species here, but also comprehensive interactive interpretation and briefings on them are given. The center has three ecosystems; savannah, forest and wetland and it is the coordinating zoo for the zoos in East, Central and West Africa. Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Center is a home to different wildlife, over 120 bird species, primates as well as botany.
Things to do and see at the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education
Behind the scenes tour
Here you are able to observe the animals at a close sight as their keepers carry out routine health checks. They also feed them like the chimpanzees, rhinos, giraffes, lions etc. You will get a chance of knowing their life story, as well observe their behavior and routine activities. Behind the scenes tour also involves the following activities;
Keepers of a day
You are granted this experience upon getting a vaccination from the health center at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre. Here you will be able to serve breakfast to some of the animals like the lions, rhinos to mention but a few. Upon waking up, you will head to the kitchen to prepare the food. Later, you will get onto the tractor that carries the food from one station to another feeding a variety of alluring and endangered animals. As a keeper for that day, record the animals’ behavior and finally rehabilitating rescued animals.
Keeper’s guided tour
The activity involves less work and more learning whereby the guide will take you on a guided tour. Each animal has an interesting background and the guide will narrate it while taking you around. The duration of the tour is 2-3 hours a day and can be done in the morning or afternoon. The feeding schedules available at the center can help you choose the time of your visit depending on which animal you would like to feed.
Vet for the day
Your tutor and guide will take you through this experience together with the resident veterinary doctor. The day will involve carrying out health checks of the animals and seeing how these checks are done. More so, bringing the animals back to their holding facilities and visiting the pharmacy. The food preparation areas ought to be kept clean at all times so as to prevent the animals from getting any infections. You will be given a chance to visit the food preparation areas, go through the steps of sanitizing these areas and checking them to ensure that they are kept clean.
Chimpanzee close-up
This requires to first undertake vaccinations and once you get the clearance, you are assigned a caretaker to guide you through this activity. There are chances for the habituation experience whereby the newly rescued chimpanzees are trained to get used to human presence. Generally this involves feeding and playing with the chimpanzees.
Volunteering
You must be immunized against measles, yellow fever, meningitis etc since this program offers hands on experience. Therefore, you will work closely with primates, mammals, reptiles and birds. While here, you will take part in feeding animals, guiding guests around, etc and at the end of this program, you will be given a certificate of participation.
UWEC entry fees
East African Adult: UGX 20,000
East African Children: UGX 10,000
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