Rhinos in Akagera National Park

Interested in watching rhinos in Akagera National Park Rwanda? Yes, over the previous two weeks, 18 black rhinos were released into Akagera National Park, re-establishing Rwanda as a Big 5 country after many years. The eastern black rhinoceros arrived at Kigali International Airport from South Africa and were transferred to Akagera National Park. It is hoped the return of rhinos to Akagera National Park will boost wildlife tourism in Rwanda for everyone interested in Rwanda safaris due to the increase in animal diversity. Akagera national park is a Savannah park where we continue to organize wildlife trips ranging from 12-day Akagera national park safaris to 2-day Akagera wildlife safaris and 3-day Akagera wildlife safaris. Rhinos form one of the best animals that are found in Akagera national park, and they form part of the big five animals found in Akagera national park, alongside lions, elephants, buffaloes, and leopards.

The park is the only one of Rwanda’s three national parks where travelers can see animals such as the Big Five. Following the 1994 Rwanda Genocide, which saw part of the national park destroyed, Akagera National Park has long since moved on. In the late 1970s, Akagera national park had around 50 rhinos, all of which lived in the park’s savanna regions. However, once the Rwanda civil war ended, farmers who returned to Rwanda as refugees slaughtered the entire rhino population in Akagera. Most refugees who returned to Rwanda after the genocide turned to the park’s woodlands for timber, grazing their timber, and hunting.

However, in 2010, the Rwanda Development Board, in collaboration with African Parks, took over management of the national park, and because of both parties’ conservation efforts, most of the park has been restored to its former grandeur. The restoration of the black rhinoceros to the Akagera National Area is one of the many successful conservation projects in the park. In May 2017, the first rhino translocation to Akagera took place, with 18 black eastern rhinoceros being relocated from South Africa to the national park. This is the outcome of a successful collaboration between the Rwanda Development Board, African Parks, and the Howard G. Buffet Foundation, which saw the species reintroduced into the park after a 10-year hiatus.

The first translocation of this rhinoceros to Akagera National Park required a 2,486-mile trip from South Africa to Rwanda. Since then, the number of rhinos in Akagera has increased on its own. This follows the reintroduction of lions into the national park in July 2015 and the subsequent relocation of two more male lions to the park in an attempt to enhance the population of the existing pride. Furthermore, five more rhinos were relocated from Europe to Akagera National Park. The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria moved five rhinos, three females and two males, from various zoos in Europe and gave them to Rwanda on June 24, 2019. (EAZA). Jasiri, Jasmina, Manny, Mandela, and Olmoti, the five rhinos, were flown to Akagera National Park on a chartered Boeing 747-400F cargo plane operated by Air Atlanta.

The introduction of rhinos in Akagera National Park makes it the home of the big five animals in Rwanda. As a result, Akagera National Park now has all five of the Big Five: Lions, Elephants, Leopards, Buffaloes, and Rhinos. It is reported that Black Rhinos used to roam the plains of Akagera National Park in the 1970s, but they were all killed owing to rising poaching. The last rhino was spotted in 2007 before they were declared extinct. Since 2010, African Parks has maintained the Akagera National Area, which has done an excellent job of rehabilitating the park and increasing tourism numbers. The park’s management has been working tirelessly to prepare for the rhinos. They assembled a well-trained rhino tracking team as well as an anti-poaching canine team. They have also secured a helicopter to conduct aerial surveillance at various locations.

This is a sign of trust and cooperation between zoos and conservation organizations all around the world. The rhinos, Jasiri, Jasmina, and Manny, were born in the Czech Republic’s Safari Park Dvur Kralove zoo. Mandela is from Denmark’s Ree Park Safari Zoo, and Olmoti is from the United Kingdom’s Flamingo Land. The rhinos range in age from two to nine years old, and tourists visiting Rwanda’s Akagera national park can witness any of these rhinos while on a game drive in the area. The relocation of these five rhinos to Akagera National Park is the longest rhino translocation from Europe to Africa in history. It was a 6,000-kilometer cross-continent expedition from the Republic of Czechoslovakia to Akagera National Park.

Encounter Rhinos in Akagera National Park

This display of conservation efforts exemplifies how zoos, together with environmental and conservation organizations, can collaborate to support efforts to ensure the threatened species’ long-term survival. Before the reintroduction of black eastern rhinos into Akagera National Park in 2017, a variety of national park professionals participated in years of research and training in rhino planning, preparation, tracking, and monitoring. All of this was done to protect the species from poachers while they were in the national park.

Visitors to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park now have a fair chance of seeing these animals in the park, following a 10-year hiatus. Following the establishment of an anti-poaching team in Akagera, the deployment of a helicopter for aerial surveillance, and the rise in the number of park rangers to strengthen security in the park, a lot has changed in terms of security and development in the national park.

Furthermore, the Rwandan government has earned an increase in total annual revenue of RWP 2 million dollars from tourism operations in Akagera National Park alone. This demonstrates that the national park is rapidly developing thanks to the combined efforts of the Rwanda Development Board, the government of Rwanda, communities living within and adjacent to Akagera national parks, and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the Howard G. Buffet Foundation, EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria), and African Parks.

The number of rhinos in Akagera National Park

Over 20 black rhinos, 100 savanna elephants, and more than 15 lions can be found at Akagera National Park. The national park is home to over 500 bird species, making it a popular site for Rwanda birding excursions. The park is also home to several primate species, including the olive baboon, silver monkeys, vervet monkeys, and blue monkeys. Aside from the black eastern rhinos, travelers visiting Akagera National Park in Rwanda will also have the opportunity to observe lions, zebras, giraffes, duikers, crocodiles, hippos, hyenas, antelopes, and many other exotic animals. The park provides day and night guided game drives for a cost of USD 35 and USD 35, respectively.

Visitors to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park can participate in a variety of activities such as camping, boat cruises, guided nature walks, wildlife drives, fishing, and village visits, among others. Tourists staying in the national park for two or more days can stay at the following lodges: Magashi Safari Camp, Akagera Game Lodge, Karenge Bush Camp, and Ruzizi Tented Lodge.

The Akagera National Park is around a 5-hour drive from Kigali City, located approximately 110 kilometers from the city center. The national park is located in northern Rwanda, near Rwanda’s border with Tanzania. The Akagera national park in Rwanda is an ideal stop for any wildlife safari in the country, and any visitor who wants to see rhinos, as well as other wildlife creatures, should include a wildlife safari to this national park on their itinerary. Contact us for the best deals on wildlife trips to Akagera National Park in Rwanda and discover everything this incredible park has to offer. Please contact Adventure Vacations for the best safari experience.