Akagera National Park: Home to Rwanda’s Savanna Wildlife

Akagera National Park is a renowned Big Five safari destination found in the eastern Part of Rwanda; home to lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo, and many bird species. While on a wildlife safari in Rwanda, Akagera National Park a must visit destination. This national park was founded in 1934; however, due to several factors, it was destroyed – but thanks to the Rwandan Government and other stakeholders, it was restored in the 2000s. Although it does not come close to its counterparts in East Africa like the Serengeti, Masai Mara, and Ngorongoro, it is the only savanna National Park in Rwanda and the only place visitors can see the African Big Five Animals.  As of today, about 14,000 mammals, including lions, rhinos, hippos, elephants, gazelles, impalas, zebras, and waterbucks, among others, live in the Park.

Akagera is also a birdwatcher’s paradise, hosting many bird species, including the rare, endemic, and migratory species. Among the commonly spotted birds here are the Rwenzori Turacos, African Grey hornbill, Papyrus gonolek, Red-faced barbet, White-faced Whistling Duck, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Goose, Red-Billed Duck, Blue-billed Teal, Garganey, Knob-billed Duck, among others.

The 1,122 sq km protected land in Akagera  is home to diverse flora, like the savannah, where wildlife graze. Montane vegetation covers an expansive area of the national park, where unique smaller animals are viewed on safari in Akagera. Swamps are key sites for animal lovers to spot animals where amphibians wander during the day, with monitor lizards among others that are seen by the visitors. Kagera River stands as the lifeblood of Akagera National Park, presenting amazing safari activities like boat safaris an awesome way to get near aquatic animals in this iconic national park in Rwanda.

 

History of Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is among the oldest national parks in Africa, which was founded in 1934 by the colonial government to safeguard wildlife from poaching and extinction.

The Park was set up by the Belgian government, which ruled some parts of Rwanda and was famous for its biodiversity.

This part was the African Dog capital of Rwanda, as this species formed the largest proportion of the wildlife in Akagera Park.

The wild dogs of Akagera National Park were so many that the Belgian administrators began to keep them domestically as pets in their homes. These huge populations became extinct when an epidemic plagued most of the wild dogs, as the last one of them was seen in the wild of Akagera in 1984.

Akagera National Park was not a black rhino sanctuary at first, but there was a plan to start a rhino project in the park, which were brought in from Tanzania in 1957. By 1970, the rhino population had reached to 50 black rhinos grazing in the grasslands of Akagera National Park; however, the numbers went down due to poaching and they became extinct in 2007.

The ambitious park authorities at Akagera National Park introduced giraffes to Akagera National Park from Kenya in 1986. This has immensely grown to 78 giraffes in 2024.  The park had a huge number of lions, about 300 lions, which were killed by farmers who occupied the park after the Rwanda Genocide.

Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the African Parks Network started joint administration and monitoring of the park in 2009, which later aggregated into the formation of Akagera Management Company which as of today manages the park.

Thanks to the financial assistance from the Howard Buffett Foundation, which contributed a huge amount close to $10 million to rehabilitate Akagera National Park and introduce species that had become extinct.

To improve security at the park, a border was constructed in the West of the park, which was about 120 kilometers, and several people were recruited and trained to counter poaching in the park.

There were donations from other parts of the world towards the conservation of wildlife at Akagera National Park, like the Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu Natal, which donated 2 lions to rehabilitate the lions of Akagera National Park.

Today, the number of mammals in Akagera National Park is more than 13,500, from as low as 4,000 in 2010, thanks to all the bodies that contributed greatly towards the conservation projects in Rwanda.

Activities and Activities on offer at Akagera National Park: Things to do During Rwanda Safaris

Wildlife viewing in Akagera National Park – Big Five viewing & other wildlife

The Akagera is the number one destination for wildlife viewing safaris in Rwanda. During safaris here, visitors get the opportunity to witness the iconic African Big Five Animals ( lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant), giraffes, zebras, hyenas, hippos, crocodiles, baboons, and up to 9 different antelope species. Wildlife viewing in the park is best done on private game drives in customized 4*4 safari vehicles with pop up roof. Visitors can also witness the wildlife in the park on boat safaris on major water bodies in the park like the Lake Ihema.

Game Drives

The Game drives in Akagera National Park are full of captivating views of many wildlife species and Big Five animals like lions, rhinos, elephants, leopards, and buffalos that visitors see on their safari in Rwanda.

Driving through Akagera is easy with most of the trucks convenient for a 4×4 vehicle, allowing quick exploration on game drives.  The remote areas of are open to game drives since there is an expansive network of driving trucks, which presents the opportunity of reaching the unique hidden wildlife of Akagera National Park. 

Bird Watching in Rwanda 

Besides its incredible number of wildlife species, Akagera is also a heaven for bird lovers. It is one of the best places for Birding in Rwanda, hosting about 450 different species of birds including the rare, migratory, and endemic species. Birds in the park can be witness in the diverse habitats, including the swamps, savannas, and the forested areas.  Without moving a long distance, birders are assured of seeing their favorite birds flying in the dense forests and grasslands. Akagera National Park is a wonderful place for seeing water birds along the shores of Lake Ihema. During Birding safaris in Akagera, expect to encounter, among others, Huglen’s Robin-chat, Papyrus Gonolek, Long-tailed Cisticola, Sauaza Shrike, African darter, Cormorants, and Open-billed Stork.

Boat Safaris At Akagera National Park

Boat Safaris are relaxing activities done on the water of Lake Ihema within Akagera in Rwanda. The boat safaris are known for their incredible opportunities for spotting different bird species and the aquatic wildlife species especially the crocodiles and the hippos.

Riding is actually safe for visitors and life jackets are provided on the guided boat safaris. It is an importunity for those who love animals to get close to aquatic like hippos, monitor lizards, Nile crocodiles, African fish eagle, open billed storks. Animals drinking from the shores of Lake Ihema are within the 10 meters on a boat safari in Akegera National Park.

Cultural Safari

During a visit to this National Park, you can also combine your trip with an immersive culture experience by visiting the local communities around the park. This experience is usually done after the main part of the safari, which is wildlife viewing in the park. Heritage and culture of the communities is much understood on community visits, for example, the tradition of cows (long-horned cattle).  Local Production is boosted as visitors shop from Imigongo Art and Craft Centre and refresh themselves with locally made beers. The communities are very good farmers fond of crop cultivation for food, and many are honey harvesters.

Nature Walks

Although the park is a known habitat for top predators like lions and leopards, you can still enjoy guided nature walking safaris. There are areas in the park that are predator-free and can be visited for nature walking adventures during Rwanda safaris. These safaris give visitors an opportunity to indulge in nature viewing up to the smallest mammals and insects that you might not be able to see on game drives.

The nature walks are guided by armed rangers with incredible knowledge of the area.

The Best Time To Go To Akagera National Park

Just like all other destinations in Rwanda, the best time to explore this national park is during the popular dry seasons between June to September and December to February, although it can still be visited any time of the year.

The dry season is known for its ideal safari conditions, especially the dry weather that facilitates for less foliage and dry tracks in the park.

How To Get To Akagera National Park

Visitors can access Rwanda through the only available airport of Kigali, where most itineraries start from. From Kigali, drive a 2-3 hour through the scenic countryside to Akagera National Park.