The Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC), popularly known as Entebbe Zoo, has welcomed two endangered African Wild Dogs in a move expected to strengthen wildlife conservation while enhancing Uganda’s growing conservation tourism sector.
The pair was donated by CTC Conservation under a public-private partnership aimed at supporting species conservation, scientific research, environmental education and sustainable tourism. Their arrival increases the number of ex-situ animal species at the facility to 69, further expanding one of East Africa’s most important wildlife education centres.
African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus), also known as painted dogs because of their distinctive multi-coloured coats, are among the world’s most endangered carnivores. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), fewer than 7,000 individuals remain in the wild, with habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, road accidents and infectious diseases continuing to threaten their survival.
Wildlife conservationists say accredited zoological institutions play an increasingly important role in safeguarding endangered species through ex-situ conservation programmes, which support breeding, research, veterinary care and public awareness while complementing conservation efforts in national parks and protected areas.
For Uganda’s tourism industry, the arrival offers visitors a rare opportunity to observe one of Africa’s least-seen predators up close. Known for their remarkable teamwork, intelligence and hunting success rates, African Wild Dogs are considered one of the continent’s most fascinating carnivores but are rarely encountered even on safari.
The new addition is expected to enrich the visitor experience at Entebbe Zoo, which has increasingly positioned itself as both a conservation and tourism destination. Besides housing rescued and endangered wildlife, the facility serves as a centre for environmental education, attracting thousands of schoolchildren, researchers and international tourists every year.
The development also reflects Uganda’s broader commitment to diversifying its tourism products beyond traditional game drives and gorilla trekking by investing in wildlife education, conservation experiences and biodiversity awareness.
As Uganda continues promoting sustainable tourism, the arrival of the endangered African Wild Dogs demonstrates how partnerships between conservation organisations and public institutions can protect threatened species while creating new opportunities for education, research and nature-based tourism.
