The Big Five in Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park is the only savannah national park in Rwanda, and it is the only place in the country where travellers can have a complete Big Five Safari. The presence of the Big Five mammals in Akagera National Park contributes to its diverse ecosystems, such as savannah grasslands, woodlands, swamps, and lakes that provide a habitat for them and their prey. The park is situated in the northeastern region of Rwanda, bordering Tanzania, and it’s the only park that is near Kigali city, the capital city of Rwanda, about a 2-3 hour drive. Akagera National Park has a remarkable conservation success story and is one of the country’s premier safari destinations. Following successful reintroduction programs, it’s now home to legendary Big Five lions, rhinos, elephants, buffalo, and leopards.
Akagera National Park is not only home to the African Big Five, but it also hosts over 85 other mammal species, including elands, bushbucks, Maasai giraffe, oribis, Burchell’s zebra, warthog, olive baboons, blue monkeys, vervet monkey, and 11 species of antelope often spotted during game drives. The lakes of Akagera, which are easily explored by boat, are home to a variety of waterbirds, including the renowned shoebill. Rwanda is now a Big Five destination, with all five species found in Akagera National Park. Rwanda is famous for hosting mountain gorillas, and this attracts thousands of visitors to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. A Big Five safari in Akagera National Park can be combined with Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
The Big Five Mammals in Akagera National Park.
Lions: In 2015 seven lions were reintroduced into the park, the “majestic king of beasts” made a comeback in the park. As of 2022, the lions had multiplied seven times, and the odds of encountering them on a safari excursion to Akagera had increased over time. Lions have been observed in both the south and north of Akagera, but the best chances are in the north, near the plains, where antelopes and other grazers populate the grasslands, providing ideal hunting grounds for lions and other cats. After the morning hunt in the plains, the lions will most likely be relaxing under a tree at the end of the long game drive from south to north. The park’s southern entrance serves as the starting point for safaris in Akagera National Park. Visitors can see lions while on a game drive in Akagera National Park; just make sure your guide knows where to look for the lions. The park offers both day and night guided game drives to its tourists, with the night game drives being the best option for visitors who want to see nocturnal species such as lions.
Leopards: These are one of the African Big Five mammals that travellers to Akagera National Park and are the most elusive of the Big Five. Leopards are solitary and stealthy. In comparison to other wild cat species, leopards have comparatively short legs and a lengthy body with a huge cranium. Its rosette-furred body makes spotting the animal in the wild challenging for tourists. The leopard spends the majority of its time in the wild alone, lurking in trees and behind long grass. It’s very hard to spot leopards during the day since they are nocturnal animals; they rest during the day and are active at night. If you happen to see leopards during the normal game drives, consider yourself lucky. Sighting them is more common during the guided night game drives.
African buffaloes ( Cape Buffaloes): These are one of the more numerous Big Five mammals in the park that form large and impressive herds. In the presence of danger, Cape buffaloes are known to have a violent temper and can quickly charge at predators. It is for this reason that big game hunters long ago found it difficult to track down the species and so put it among the Big Five. The actual number of cape buffaloes in Akagera National Park is unknown, but tourists can be confident that they will see at least a couple of buffalo. Buffaloes are the most abundant of the big five in Akagera National Park, where they can be found in a range of habitats. The park is home to approximately 4,000 buffalo. The northern plains are home to vast herds of buffaloes. They are usually spotted grazing in grasslands or near water.
African elephants : Elephants were on the verge of extinction in Rwanda a few decades ago, along with lions and rhinos. During the civil wars, they were often poached. But credit goes to the Rwandan government and the African Parks organization, which have been maintaining the park for the last ten years and whose efforts have resulted in one of Africa’s most protected national parks, with the elephant population steadily recovering. According to the recent wildlife census in 2021, there are around 135 elephants in Akagera National Park. Finding a herd of elephants on a safari in Akagera ten years ago was a stroke of luck but now it’s easy to spot herds of elephants in the park. Savannah elephants are the world’s largest and heaviest terrestrial mammals. These creatures can weigh up to 6,048kg and live for more than 60 years. Over 100 African savannah elephants wander Akagera National Area today, and tourists can observe this incredible wildlife species during a game drive in the park.
The rhinos: These are one of the Big Five Mammal Species found in Akagera National Park, and it hosts both white and black rhinos. Few parks and nature reserves are fortunate enough to have both species. In 2017, 15 black rhinos were the first to be reintroduced into the park. These inhabit the park’s southern woodland section, which contains many acacia trees and forests, making it a suitable home for black rhinos that are browsers, grazing upward on tree leaves. Because of the habitat and the tiny number of rhinos, the chances of encountering a black rhino are quite low.
In 2021, 30 white rhinos will be introduced into the park. These are prospering in Akagera, and a calf from this group was born in May 2022. White rhinos are grazers that eat largely grass and are hence found in the park’s grassland northern area, particularly around the Kilala plains. White rhinos have a better probability of being seen than black rhinos. Visitors can also join park rangers in their morning routine to observe rhinos in Akagera Park. You can arrange the rhino tracking activity if you want a sure way to tick off the rhinos. Today, Akagera National Park is home to around 20 rhinoceros, and a wildlife tour of the Big 5 animals in Akagera would be incomplete without visitors witnessing rhinos. Daytime guided game drives in the park provide guests with unique opportunities to spot rhinos grazing in the area.
