Background;
1952: At the time, it opened as “Entebbe Zoo”, by Uganda’s Colonial Government. The aim was to create a reception center for wild animals that were rescued as casualties (sick, injured, orphaned, confiscated from illegal trade or such related cases).
1960s: In the early 1960s, it changed its role to a traditional zoo (“Entebbe Zoo”), whereby non-indigenous species, including bears and tigers, were kept as attractions.
1994: In May 1994, the UWEC Trust was founded to take over the zoo primarily for Conservation Education purposes. The Centre’s location on the edge of Lake Victoria and the rich vegetation has attracted a wide range of birds, butterflies and other indigenous animals. This has made the center more attractive for education purposes to people of all categories (across all generations, professions and interests).
The Uganda Wildlife Conservation and Education Center is home to the free ranging monkeys in a natural forest, the vocal and elusive Chimpanzees, over 120 bird species ranging from African fish eagles, the Great Blue Turaco, Hamerkops, Giant Kingfisher and the endangered Shoebill stork.
UWEC is not a zoo in a conventional sense and neither is it a Safari Park but it is a center where wildlife education is combined with leisure. The center is the only home to the Tigers in East Africa as of April 2024), this in addition to the other Big5, and the less celebrated cute little mammals like the Genet cat, Caracals and Otters.
Other than Wildlife, the center has got a children-friendly play area with a variety of games, a swimming pool, a beach and adventurous activities like quad bikes, horseback rides, camel rides and walking adventures.
UWEC provides a wide range of visitor programs for the general public and your participation means you are making a direct contribution towards operational costs of the center, buying animal food, maintaining the quarantine, ensuring the provision of medical care, rescue programs as well as lots of other expenses, as these campaigns and programs that are aimed at keeping wildlife in the wild.
Behind The Scenes Program – Uwec Entebbe.
Chimpanzee Close Up experience – Uganda
Keeper For a day program – UWEC.
