Ajai lies on the western bank of the White Nile, approximately 40 km (25 mi) east of Arua. The Ajai Wildlife Reserve is a small conservation protected area in northeastern Uganda dominated by a large island surrounded by seasonally flooded swamps and wooded savanna. Before Ajai was gazetted as a wildlife reserve in 1965, the Ajai Rhino Sanctuary was home to 60 of Uganda's 80 remaining white rhino. The WWF funded an anti-poaching project there in 1962. In 2002 12 kilometers squared (4.6 square miles) were carved out of the reserve to make space for human settlements. In 2008 the Uganda Wildlife Authority privatized the operation of Ajai to Uganda Wildlife Safaris Ltd, a hunting and photographic tour operator.

Initially, Ajai Wildlife Reserve was managed by a local chief named “Ajai” who led in the 1930s hence the reserve derived it name from him.

Up to 1980, the Wildlife Reserve was one of the homes to the few White Rhinos in Uganda and is now extinct within the Wildlife Reserve. This explains why it used to be called Ajai Rhino Sanctuary. At that time, it sheltered over 60 white Rhinos of the total 80 of these mammals that Uganda had. When the local community members began hunting the Rhinos, an International Organization called the World Wildlife Fund facilitated an Anti-poaching initiative that was conducted throughout the Wildlife Reserve in 1962, though it didn't deter the poachers from hunting these mammals until they became extinct. In 2002, approximately 12 square Kilometers of land was reduced from the Wildlife Reserve to create more land for cultivation and human settlement.

Much as the White Rhinos are now extinct within the Wildlife reserve, you will encounter other fascinating wildlife species that include primates such as the Olive baboons, the black and white colobus monkeys and the Vervet monkeys, the warthogs, the Sitatungas, the lions, the Lelwel Hartebeest, the Leopards, the Warthogs, Sitatungas, the Blue duikers, the zebras, Common Duiker, the Oribis, as well as Uganda Kobs among others. There are several aquatic Wildlife Species such as the Hippos and the Crocodiles and other reptiles such as the Pythons.

Ajai Wildlife reserve has several bird species and they include Shoebill, the Black-rumped Waxbill, Grey Crowned cranes, Marabou stocks, African fish eagles, Heuglin's Masked Weaver, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, Bronze-tailed Starling, White-crested Turaco, Papyrus Gonolek, Red-throated Bee-eater, Black-breasted Barbet, Emin's Shrike Lanius gubernator, Piapiac, Red-pate, Purple Starling and Grey-headed Oliveback among others.

Ajai Wildlife Reserve is open for tourist all year round though the best time to visit is during the dry season of June to October and December to March. The rainy season is in the months of April, May, October and November. Tourists traveling to Ajai can always link from or to Murchison Falls National Park or Gulu Town for overnight stay. This destination can be accessed by both Air and road transport. With air transport, scheduled and charter flights can be organized to Arua Airfield.It takes from 6-7 hours drive from Kampala to Arua Town where the Wildlife reserve is located.