Akagera national park : The national park is located in the north east of Rwanda’s border with Tanzania. Akagera national park was established in 1934 in order to safeguard the vegetation as well as animals and it was named after the akagera river that flows in the eastern boundary. The national park has an area cover of 1,122 square kilometers and it’s preoccupied by montane, savannah and papyrus swamps which are homes to a number of wildlife within the park.

Before the establishment of the national park, it was known as Parc aux Lycaons and it was known to be a home of a great number of African wild dogs. Due to a big number of the wild dogs in the park, the Belgium government considered them as pests but later they were affected by disease which decreased there number and the last wild dog was sighted in 1984. The national park has been through various restoration of wild animals within it.

In 1957, black rhinos were restocked into the park from Tanzania, in 1986 Masai giraffes from Kenya were introduced, in July 2015, 7 lions were got from south Africa, in May 2017, 20 eastern black rhinoceros were restored in the park whereas in June 2019 more 5 eastern black rhinoceros were introduced into the national from three different zoos of different countries. That is Dvur Kralove zoo in Czech Republic, flamingo land in the UK and Ree park safari in Denmark.

ATTRACTIONS IN AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK

BIRDS

The national park is well known as a Rwanda birding Safaris with over 500 bird species that are spotted within the savannah plains, hills, forest, swamps and on the shores of lakes and rivers within the national park. The national park has various bird species such as Zambezian biome species which include myrmecocihla arnotti, cisticola angusticauda and lanius souzae, raptors are 44 species, palearctic migrants such as Falco naumanni, glareola nordamanni and gallinago, Afro-tropical highlands biome, Congo Forest biome, threatened bird species such as red-faced barbet and papyrus gonolek. General birds that are observed within the national park include augur buzzard, long-crested eagle, shoe bill, fish eagles, cattle egret, hammer Kop, black headed, vieillot’s black weavers among others

WILDLIFE

Akagera national park is influenced by savannah vegetation that gives a number of wildlife a home which are spotted while on a safari. These include lions, hyena, side stripped jackal, mongoose species, serval, viverrid species, oribi, savanna elephant, Topi, buffalo, defassa waterbuck swamp dwelling sitatunga among others. within the forest their primates that live within such as vervet monkeys and the blue monkeys that are viewed on the lakes, savannah plains and swamps.

WATERBODIES

The akagera national park is made up of lakes such as lake Ihema, shakani, rwanyakazinga, gishanju and mihindi. The lakes are known to be good for watching wildlife because many animals or birds species live within the waterbodies or come along to take water such as crocodiles, hippopotamus and various fish species. Various bird species mostly the shoe bill that is always spotted on the akagera river.

ACTIVITIES IN THE AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK   

GAME DRIVES

The game drives within akagera national park are more rewarding both in the morning and in night. The morning game drive starts as earl as possible before the sun rises. A number of animals can be spotted such as  antelopes, zebras among others. As the sun starts to rise many animals are observed while coming out of their hiding places in order to get an early catch.

Nocturnal game drives are also good where tourists are able to see animals as their catching their prey. For example, the lions, the leopard hunting their pray, hyenas are viewed while moving in groups. This gives tourists an amazing experience.

BOAT CRUISE

Boat cruise takes place around the water bodies within the park such as lake shakani, lake ihema among others. There two different boat cruises that one can participate in that is morning and evening where tourists have an amazing experience. In the morning boat cruise tourists are able to view animals as their grazing such as zebras, impalas among others. Bird species such as African jacana, great cormorant, African fish eagle, America dipper among others are also spotted while in the boat cruise.

The evening boat cruise gives an amazing panorama of the park where tourists see the sunset and animals such as crocodiles as their sunbathing, elephants among others. Various carnivores are observed during the evening boat cruise

BIRDING

 The national park is known to be a home to a number of various bird species that can be spotted within the swamps and the vegetation as well. The park has over 400 bird species which are seen on the different waterbodies as their searching for food. These include African darter, Senegal lapwings, African fish eagle, open billed stork, egrets which are seen on lake shakani and ihema. Other birds within the national park include hamerkop, fan-tailed widow bird, violets black weaver, long-crested eagle among others which makes it a best place for the birding safari

SPORT FISHING

Sport fishing is an interesting activity as tourists are rewarded with the fish they get after the activity. Within the national park sport fishing is carried out on lake Ihema, shakani where different fish types are found. Different fish species are found within the lakes. While on the sport fishing activity different bird species are spotted such as African jacana, America dipper, billon’s crake and African fish eagle among others.

NATURE WALKS

Within the national park tourists can participate in nature walks and these make the tourists to be close to nature. During the nature walks tourists will be able to view various attractions such as the waterbodies where various animal species can be found too as their taking water even a number of bird species are viewed most especially the shoe bill.

CULTURAL ENCOUNTER

Tourists after the nature walk can as well participate in the Rwanda cultural tours around the akagera national park where they visit the humure refugee village. This is where the people settled in the country after the political instability in Tanzania. As tourists reach the refugee village, they are received by a guide that takes them through the lives of the refugees within the villages. Tourists are also taught how to make ghee, different local dishes, pottery such as how to make cooking pots, plates among others.