Akagera National Park

Overview

Akagera National Park is Rwanda's most dramatic conservation success story and the country's only savannah wildlife park. Covering 1,122 square kilometres of rolling savannahs, dense woodlands, lakes, and wetlands along the Tanzanian border, Akagera has undergone a remarkable transformation from a neglected, poaching-ravaged park in the 1990s to a thriving Big Five destination that stands as a model for African wildlife management. The park is managed in partnership by the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks — a non-profit conservation organisation that has driven extraordinary results since taking over management in 2010. Lions were reintroduced in 2015, black rhinoceros were brought back in 2017 and 2021, and the overall wildlife population has surged. Today Akagera offers elephant, buffalo, hippopotamus, giraffe, zebra, leopard, spotted hyena, and numerous antelope species alongside its recovering lion and rhino populations. The park's landscape diversity is exceptional, spanning open savannah and acacia-studded hills, dense riverine forest along the Akagera River, and a chain of lakes that support enormous hippo and crocodile populations. Boat safaris on Lake Ihema are one of Akagera's signature experiences, drifting past pods of hundreds of hippos and basking crocodiles while painted storks, African fish eagles, and malachite kingfishers watch from the papyrus fringe. The dry seasons concentrate wildlife around remaining water sources for predictable game viewing, while the wet seasons transform the park into lush green landscapes with excellent birdwatching and newborn animals underfoot.