Behind the scenes at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (Uganda Zoo)
Behind the scenes at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre : The behind the scenes activity was recently introduced at the Entebbe Zoo offering tourists who are interested in more than just the sights and sounds of the animals at the Centre. The experience offers visitors a rare opportunity to interact closely with many of the animals at the Centre while getting to know their life story. You will observe their behavior and routine activities from the time they wake up till they retire to their enclosures. The experience is completely different and cannot be possible during a standard Uganda safari. By the end of your time at the tour, you will learn to appreciate the work done by the caretakers of the zoo. The experience is divided into three categories. The keeper’s Guided tour, Vet for the day experience and the Keeper for the day experience. The Behind the Scenes Tour costs $70 per person.
What is involved in behind the scenes experience
Keeper’s Guided tour
If you choose to go for the Keeper’s Guided tour, you will be assigned a Care taker who will share all the details about the Center before taking you to visit all the animal enclosures. You will have access to all sections of the Centre including the staff offices and other private facilities. During the tour, you will get close and personal with animals like Kabira the Lion, Sushi the Shoebill Stork, Mutagama the lioness, Albert the giraffe, Charlie the Elephant and Chimpanzees like Ndugu. The Keeper’s Guided tour takes about three hours and generally involves less work. You can choose to do the tour in the morning or afternoon. The best time to observe the animals feeding is in the morning hours. Do not forget to go with your camera and enough battery. The Keeper’s Guided Tour costs $40 per person.
Keeper for a day experience
The Keeper for a day option involves more work with the animals and attempts to allow you experience what the caretakers go through while taking care of the animals at the zoo. The programme starts with attending the Keepers briefing, getting the animal food ready, loading it into the zoo tractor and taking them to the different animal enclosures. You will help serve the animals food and record their overall behaviour for any signs of stress or sickness. This is the time to touch the python or one of the lions. If there is any newly rescued animal at the Centre, the staff will involve you in their rehabilitation. The Keeper for a day experience costs $150 per person.
The Vet for the day Experience
This experience is open to everyone but will be supervised by the resident Veterinary doctor. After the usual briefing, the animal doctor will lead you to the animal enclosures for daily health checks. You will observe how the health checks are done and may be involved in transporting one of the animals back to a holding facility for more comprehensive checks. The Doctor will also take you to visit the animal pharmacy while ensuring that you follow any health precautions. While visiting the food preparation area, you are expected to follow the cleanliness procedures in place in order to prevent animal infections.
In order to take part in the behind the scenes programme, you need to book a spot in advance. You are also expected to undergo several health checks and prepare to be vaccinated against the following diseases (Hepatitis A and B, Measles, Meningococcal meningitis, Tuberculosis, Polio, and Tetanus) two weeks before getting anywhere near the animals.
Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Entrance Fee
Apart from the Behind the scenes fees, one must first pay for the entrance fee to Entebbe Zoo is $15 for adult non-residents and $10 for children who are non-residents. Adult Ugandan pay 10,000 shilling while children pay 5,000 shillings. There is a separate rate for schools and tertiary institutions who visit the Centre for educational purposes. If you wish to make a video while at the zoo, you will be charged 10,000 Uganda shillings. The Centre charges a separate rate for a more comprehensive and Guided tour of the facility as we shall see later on. All vehicles pay a parking fee of 2000 shillings.
Opening hours
The Entebbe Zoo opening hours are between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm. You will not be allowed in if you show up at 6:00 pm. For the best experience and time with the animals, we recommend that you visit by 4:00 pm.
