Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC)

The Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) sits on the shore of Lake Victoria in Entebbe, a few minutes from the airport. Many people still know it by its old name, Entebbe Zoo, but it works mainly as a rescue, rehabilitation and education centre rather than a commercial zoo. It was created and is backed by the Government of Uganda.

Why go

The centre was founded in 1952 to care for wild animals that were orphaned, injured or taken from the illegal wildlife trade and could not survive on their own in the wild. Animals that recover are returned to the wild where possible. Those that are permanently disabled, or so used to people that they could never live wild again, stay at the centre, where they help teach school children and visitors from around the world why Uganda’s wildlife is worth protecting. Before a safari it is a gentle introduction to the animals you may see later; after one, it tells the conservation story behind them.

What you can do

• A relaxed walk through open-range and semi-natural areas laid out as Uganda’s main habitats: savannah, wetland, forest and open water.
• See lions, chimpanzees, shoebills, rhinos, giraffes and crowned cranes, and hear how each animal came to the centre.
• A behind-the-scenes tour with a keeper, to learn how the animals are fed and cared for.
• An overnight stay in the centre’s bandas.
• Lunch by the lake, or a combined visit with the Entebbe Botanical Gardens.

The people side

The centre’s main audience is Ugandan school children, and on weekdays you will often share the paths with school groups learning about their own wildlife. UWEC is a member of the Pan-African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZA), whose chairperson’s award it received in 2017, and it has hosted two of the association’s annual conferences and keeper training workshops.

Best time to visit

UWEC is open every day of the year. Mornings are cooler and the animals are more active. On weekdays in term time it is busy with school groups, and on weekends and public holidays with families.

Getting there

The centre is 10 to 15 minutes from Entebbe International Airport and about 1 hour from Kampala by the expressway.

Good to know

Walking is easy, Level 1 to 2, on mostly flat, shaded paths. We do not book activities where guests touch or handle animals. Entrance fees support animal care, rescue work and conservation education in Uganda.