Elephants in Akagera National Park can easily be seen while on a game drive in the Savannah park.
In 1975, 26 baby elephants were transferred to Akagera National Park from Bugesera, Rwanda. Among them, 14 were male (3 of which were habituated) and 12 were females.
In the early and mid-1990s, during the Rwanda Civil War and after the Genocide, the elephants in Akagera National Park almost went extinct due to extensive poaching and encroachment on the park’s land by Rwandans returning from neighboring countries after the Genocide.
They cleared the land for settlement, farming, and livestock herding, leading to conflicts between the park’s animals and humans.
People set traps and snares for the elephants that entered their gardens and farms, resulting in the death of many elephants.
Efforts by the Rwandan government aimed to halt this wildlife-human conflict by allocating some park land to returnees for settlement.
The remaining area of the park on the western side was fenced off with an electric fence to prevent animals from crossing over to the farms.
These conservation efforts, among others, are the result of the partnership between the Rwanda Development Board and the African Parks non-profit conservation organization, which took over the management of Akagera National Park in 2010.
Thanks to continuous conservation efforts and initiatives like the Akagera Elephant Project, the African elephant population in Akagera National Park has increased to approximately 130 individuals.
Visit Akagera National Park to see these majestic giants and the other members of the African Big Five, among many other animal species that traverse the Savannah park.
Visit Akagera National Park in Rwanda with these recommended Rwanda tour companies or send us an inquiry below to book through us directly.
