It has been long due almost over 15 years since the 1994 genocide massacre that lead to perish and leading to the extinction of lions in the land of a thousand hills. The dream has now come true following the return of lions in the savanna lands of Rwanda, it’s expected that the king of the jungle will live in peace and harmony.
It has been reported that seven lions of which two are male and five of them female,have been transported and relocated to the amazing Akagera National Park from South Africa by a plane to add values, balance the wildlife activity and the Rwanda tourism sector as a whole, in general it’s of a great advantage to Rwanda community and its seen as a focal point to increase revenue to the country in respect to a number of tourists willing to visit Rwanda for holidays that include gorilla safaris in Volcanoes National Park, wildlife safaris, chimpanzee tracking and other excursions.
Rwanda has been for long generating and relying on mountain gorilla adventure in volcanoes national park as the best-selling activity; however there are has been other activities such as chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe national park, birding, canopy walk, cultural tours and visiting the genocide memorials in Kigali city, boat cruise, game drive in Akagera national park.
Lions have been transferred to the Eastern Akagera (112,000-hectare (276,800-acre) area bordering Tanzania, welcoming the predators as they are to have a safe stay following a warm welcome from the citizens with such wonderful songs sung by Rwanda community. The giants where released one by one into their pen and literally put on a quarantine estimated to be about two weeks period.
It’s a new chapter begun and it’s a perfect stand taken in Rwanda’s conservation sector, the Rwanda genocide marked the extinction of lions in Rwanda and it was this due to the encroachers who settled in the park after the struggle of saving lives, initially. The refugees and the displaced communities utilized the would be homes of the predators, at that time lions were killed and dragged out of the park when the citizens where protecting their property especially the domestic animals like, cows, goats, sheep to mention but a few.
“I still have the pictures of the last three lions that were poisoned … it was very sad,” said Tony Mudakikwa, a senior vet officer. “Of course, a lion can kill a cow, but now that there is the fence there is less risk,” said Phocus Rukundo, a cattle herder. “The people can no longer kill the lions because they understand the importance of their conservation for tourism.”
However; the community is still ill about the predators and the conservation groups of Akagera national park needs to do a lot to sensitize to people about the importance of wildlife especially when it comes to the country’s earnings and welfare.
The predators have remains listed as vulnerable worldwide, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature recently updated the red list of threatened species and the lions are on a front page. The IUCN warns that trade in bones and other body parts for traditional medicine in Africa and Asia is a new and emerging threat to the species.
Lions are expected to live a fruit full jungle life depending on the plenty of the foods reserved for them. Akagera national park is a home for other wild animals like the antelopes, bushbucks, Oribs, giraffes , zebras, elephants to mention but a few. The king feeds on meat and in this case nature will feed on nature to survive.
Its expectant that the tourism board together with Rwanda government are in fresh arrangements to re-introduce the race of rhinoceroses as it was before, this has followed the return of the lions in the field of tourism more so to increase wildlife potential, missing animals have been thought of to rise the altitude of travelers going for Africa’s wildlife safaris.
Rwanda is a small state that all activities are surrounding it there for arranging a safari to Rwanda is proved simple and less tiresome to the well-wishers, you travel for less hours to the destinations and now that wildlife is geared up, things have been made easy to the ample visitors because two birds are now hit by one stone, one the big four games is now yearned for when a client is planning for safari to Rwanda.
Trust your mission for it shall be proved when you book your safari from gorillas, wildlife and culture, otherwise thanks to the South African Republic to have endorsed the return of lions in Rwanda.