Things to do while at the Entebbe Zoo : Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) popularly known as Entebbe Zoo located 40Km from Uganda’s Capital Kampala and just 15 Minutes’ drive from Entebbe International Airport.
The Entebbe Zoo was opened in 1952, by the Colonial Government in Uganda, as a reception centre for wild animals that were found as casualties. The Centre cares for rescued animals often victims of bush meat trade, habitat destruction, or illegal trade. Individuals that can make it in the wild are released back. The Centre doesn’t buy animals nor use them for entertainment, but rather as ambassadors to help save and maintain those in the wild to thrill while on Uganda Safaris.
While at the centre, it’s beyond seeing and learning about animals. One gets to listen to interpretative talks from the keepers; guides who work with animals every day. You can sign up as an animal surrogate mother for a day, participate in; corporate events, behind the scenes experiences and get to see primates, elephants, giraffes, Birds and other animals at close range. Below are some of the activities you can do while visiting the Entebbe Zoo while on your Uganda Safari tour.
Forest Trail and birdwatching
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 you 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. Food is served at the zoo restaurant overlooking the lake.
Note: There are countless vervet monkeys roaming freely around the zoo. Keep your distance and avoid feeding them if you can. Some may be infected with rabies.
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. Visitors get a rare opportunity to interact closely with many of the animals at the Centre while getting to know their life story. You will observe their behaviour and routine activities from the time they wake up till they retire to their enclosures. The experience is completely different and cannot be possible during a standard safari. By the end of your time at the tour, you will learn to appreciate the work done by the caretakers of the zoo. The experience is divided into three categories. The keeper’s Guided tour, Vet for the day experience and the Keeper for the day experience. 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 Care taker who will share all the details about the Centre 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. You can choose to do the tour in the morning or afternoon. The best time to observe the animals feeding is in the morning hours. Do not forget to go with your camera and enough battery. The Keeper’s Guided Tour costs $40 per person.
Keeper for a day experience
The Keeper for a day option involves more work with the animals and attempts to allow you experience what the caretakers go through while taking care of the animals at the zoo. The programme 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 behaviour for any signs of stress or sickness. This is the time to touch the python or one of the lions. If there is any newly rescued animal at the Centre, the staff will involve you in their rehabilitation. The Keeper for a day experience costs $150 per person.
The 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. The Doctor will also take you to visit the animal pharmacy while ensuring that you follow any health precautions. While visiting the food preparation area, you are expected to follow the cleanliness procedures in place in order to prevent animal infections.
Note: In order to take part in the behind the scenes programme, you need to book a spot in advance. You are also expected to undergo several health checks and prepare to be vaccinated against the following diseases two weeks before getting anywhere near the animals; Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Meningococcal meningitis, Tuberculosis (TB), Polio, Tetanus
Guided Tour
A guided tour of the Entebbe zoo can take half a day 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 Close-up experience
Although Uganda has one of the largest population 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. This requires you to undertake vaccinations as already discussed. You cannot go anywhere near the chimps if you have any transferable diseases. 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 get used to being comfortable around humans. The Chimpanzee close-up generally involves feeding the chimps, playing with the young and ensuring that they are comfortable around humans. The Centre receives more chimps than it can handle and many are taken to the Ngamba Island chimpanzee sanctuary in Lake Victoria.
Volunteer
The Entebbe zoo accepts volunteers from every part of the globe for a period of 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 Centre directly.
The volunteer lives in one of the accommodation facilities and eat from the restaurant close the lake. All Volunteers must be immunized against yellow fever, polio, Meningitis, tetanus, measles, Hepatitis A and B. The Volunteer must also be tested for Tuberculosis. All Volunteers pay some fees to cover for accommodation, food, airport pickup and trips to islands in Lake Victoria. Volunteer are expected to pay for their own health and travel insurance. At the end of the program, volunteers are given a certificate of participation.
Donations and visiting the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre
One of the frequently asked questions is how to donate or support the work of the Uganda Wildlife Education and Conservation Centre. The easiest way to support the Centre is to pay a visit. By paying the entrance fee, you are indirectly supporting the activities of the Centre because the money collected is used for feeding the animals and paying staff. The other method of supporting the work of the Centre is by sponsoring one of the animals in the zoo under what is known as the Animal Parents Program. There are also special membership packages and other ways of supporting conservation programs. For all donations, visit the Website of the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre for more details. If you are planning to visit the Centre soon, you can reach out to find out to us.
