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| Location: |
Africa - Eastern Africa - Uganda |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
White Rhino |
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In Uganda the White Rhinoceros is now restricted to the Madi, West Madi, and Aringa counties of the West Nile District, where, despite protection and the ceaseless vigilance of the Game Department Officers, its numbers have decreased alarmingly in the last half-dozen years, so that today probably not more than 80 animals remain in a strip of terrain some 70 miles long by 20 to 30 miles wide and one which, until now, offered this species ideal living conditions.
The.accompanying sketch map of the West Nile District of Uganda shows its counties and certain of its townships, of which Rhino Camp is perhaps the most well known. Some 50 years ago it was the apltly chosen and rewarding headquarters of Theodore Roosevelt when collecting Ceratotherium material on behalf of the Smithsonian African Expedition.
The West Madi and Aringa population is loosely composed of two groups, one centred around Lomunga Game Camp, the second around Laufori The first group occupies the black cotton soil areas with thorn thickets between the Obongo-Itula road and the Nile; the second group comprises a very few animals (2-3) to the north of the Moyo-Arua road and the remainder (10-15) scattered rather widely to the south thereof. Poaching in this territory has been so heavy as to decimate the White Rhinoceros population.
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The white rhinoceros in Uganda
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