CTC Conservation Center Brings African Wild Dogs Back to Uganda After Six Decades

For the first time in over 60 years, African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) are returning to Uganda, thanks to a private conservation initiative by CTC Conservation Centre in Mpigi district.

African Wild Dogs, once native to Uganda, were declared nationally extinct around the 1960s. Now, under the leadership of Ugandan conservationist Thomas Price, founder of CTC Conservation Centre, eight of these rare and endangered animals will soon call Uganda home again.

The latest group of six Wild Dogs arrived on Monday evening, June 23, 2025, at Entebbe International Airport from a conservation facility in South Africa. They will join two others already being cared for at CTC, bringing the total population to eight. This is a 100% Ugandan-led initiative aimed at establishing a captive, managed breeding population. The long-term goal is to support future reintroduction into suitable wild habitats across the country.

“I believe this marks a vital first step in empowering a homegrown Ugandan initiative to address our conservation challenges. It is my sincere hope that with the involvement of additional national stakeholders, this will be just the beginning of a broader movement to restore Uganda’s lost wildlife diversity, for the enduring benefit of our nation and the generations of proud Ugandans yet to come,” says Price.

Founded in 2015, CTC Conservation Centre is a fully licensed wildlife breeding and education facility, working closely with the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA) and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

This marks a hopeful step towards restoring one of Africa’s most endangered and charismatic carnivores to Uganda’s rich biodiversity.

Comments

comments