Akagera National Park History

Akagera National Park History: Akagera national park has got outstanding history that you need to know before planning any movement to enjoy the different creatures within the park. A traveler would be interested in learning about the history of Akagera National Park because this is some of the information that will offer you a heads-up about the park. When it comes to wildlife excursions in Rwanda, Akagera National Park is the pride of the East African country. The national park gets its name from the River Kagera, which runs through it. The park is located in the regions of Kayonza and Nyagatare in northern Rwanda. Visitors enter Akagera National Park by the southern gate, which is located in the district of Kayonza, whereas the northern gate is solely used as an exit out of the park.

The national park currently spans 1,122 square kilometers and is made up of of savanna, montane forests, woodland, marsh, and wetlands. After a cooperative agreement between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks in 2010, the park is managed by Akagera Management Company. The magnificent Akagera national park has a history that extends back to colonial times. The Belgian government established the national park in 1934 in order to conserve the region’s surviving threatened biological species. The park formerly comprised an area of 2,500km2 and was well-known for its diverse flora and fauna species.

The Akagera National Park in Rwanda was home to many wildlife species, including the Big Five, which included lions, savannah elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, and leopards. Due to the great population of wild dogs in the park, this national park was once known as the ‘Park of Lycanos,’ or ‘Parc aux Lycanos’ in French. However, an epidemic in the park killed the majority of these wild canines, and the last of the species was observed in the park in 1984.

Following their migration from Tanzania, about 50 black rhinos lived in Akagera National Park in the 1970s. However, in the years following the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, the majority of these rhinos were slaughtered, and the species became extinct in the national park. Following the genocide, a considerable number of Rwandan refugees came home and settled within the national park. As a result, most of the park’s forest was cut down for timber, wildlife was hunted for bushmeat, and the park’s savannah woodlands were converted into cattle grazing fields.

Over 25% of Akagera National Park’s woodlands were devastated as a result of ongoing poaching and land expansion, and the park’s final rhinos were observed in 2007. Originally, there were roughly 300 lions in Akagera, but years of poaching drove the species to extinction until July 2015, when seven lions were transported from South Africa’s Phinda Private Game Reserve. And Beyond, a South African NGO, donated the five lionesses to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park. Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, later donated two male lions to Akagera. This conservation project resulted in the restoration of lions to Akagera National Park after a 15-year hiatus.

In May 2017, 18 black eastern rhinoceros were relocated from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park. This translocation, which covered a distance of 2,485 miles, resulted in the reintroduction of rhinos to the national park after a 10-year hiatus. This was a significant accomplishment for conservationists and employees at Akagera National Park, made possible by a collaborative effort between the Rwanda Development Board, African Parks, and the Howard Buffet Foundation.

Prior to the reintroduction of rhinos into Akagera National Park, the bulk of the park’s staff received intense training in rhino planning, preparation, monitoring, and tracking in order to secure the species’ security, safety, and multiplication in the national park. In addition, the national park has increased security by hiring and training more park rangers, establishing an anti-poaching canine squad, and purchasing a helicopter for aerial observation of species in the park.

The management of Akagera National Area has continued to increase the number of rhinos in the park, with the most recent addition being five black rhinos from three separate European zoos. A Boeing 747-400F freight plane landed at Kigali International Airport around 2:45 a.m. on Monday, June 24, 2019. The five rhinos were flown from the Czech Republic to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park on a chartered jet provided by Air Atlanta.

The rhinos traveled 3,700 kilometers, making it the longest voyage ever recorded in rhino transfer from Europe to Africa. There are currently around 25 black eastern rhinos in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park. Tourist visits to Akagera National Area have surged dramatically since 2010, when African Parks and the Rwanda Development Board took over management of the park. In 2018, the national park received 44,000 visitor visits and earned approximately USD2 million in tourism revenue. As a result, Akagera National Park is 75% self-sufficient as a national park.

Day and nighttime game drives, boat cruises, hiking and nature walks, fishing, bird watching, camping, and cultural excursions are among the tourism activities available to visitors to Akagera National Park. Akagera National Park also includes a wide choice of housing options for travelers, including cheap, mid-range, and luxury options. Akagera Game Lodge, Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Karenge Bush Camp, and Magashi Safari Camp are just a few of the Akagera National Park hotel options. Akagera National Park in Rwanda is the best location for any visitor interested in observing the country’s savannah wildlife creatures. Book your Akagera tour with us and enjoy the best of Rwanda’s wildlife safari. Come and enjoy the Akagera National Park through Africa adventure vacations