Akagera National Park - Birds, Wildlife in Rwanda

The park got its name from the river that runs along its eastern boundary; The Park is Rwanda’s famous Savanna reserve.  In comparison to the rest of the country, the area is relatively warm and low-lying, and plains support a cover of dense, broad-leafed woodland with lighter acacia woodland and patches of rolling grassland studded eloquently with stands of the superficially cactus-like Euphorbia candelabra shrub.

In the west of the plains lays a range of low mountains that reach the elevations of between 1,600m and 1,800m.  The eastern part of the park is covered with wetland. Akagera River feeds a complex of many lakes linked by extensive papyrus swamps and winding water. Poaching in this area has greatly reduced wildlife populations in recent years, and what was formerly the north of the park is now a settlement area for returned refugees. The lakes that remain within the national park are routinely used to water domestic cattle – indeed, the long-horned Ankole cow is far and away the most commonly seen large mammal. Apart from all that, Akagera is definitely worth visiting. 

The park inhabits a plenty of wild game which include elephants, zebras, buffalos, hippos giraffes, and various antelope all reasonably visible.  The lakes support some of the highest concentrations of hippo you will not find anywhere in Africa, as well as numerous large crocodiles, while lion, leopard and black rhino are still in small numbers.  The Park is one Africa’s game reserve where you can drive for some hours without passing another vehicle, and without knowing what wildlife encounter you might find around the next corner.  Akagera is also among the most scenic of savanna reserves, with its sumptuous forest-fringed lakes, tall mountains and constantly changing vegetation.

Visitor activities and attractions Akagera National Park
Boat trips are available on Lake Ihema, and are worthwhile.  You should Book in advance through ORTPN in Kigali.  Close encounters with outsize crocodiles and large pods of hippo are all but guaranteed, and you will also pass substantial breeding colonies of African darter, cormorant and open-bill stork.  Other water birds are abundant:  the delicate and colorful African jacana can be seen trotting on floating vegetation, fish eagles are posted in the trees at regular intervals, jewel-like malachite kingfisher hawk from the needs, while pied kingfishers hover high above the water to swoop down on their fishy prey.  Of greater interest to enthusiasts will be the opportunity to spot marsh specialists such as blue-headed coucal and marsh flycatcher.

Getting to Akagera National Park
By public means , Akagera can be accessed from Kigali in a two hours long drive and from Kibungo or Rwamagana in about one hour.  The only usable entrance gate, 500m from the new Akagera Game Lodge, is reached through a 27km dirt road which branches from the main surfaced road at Kabarondo, 15km north of Kibungo.  This dirt road is in fair condition, passable by any vehicle except after rain.  Within the park, however, a 4x4 is advisable, though any vehicle with good clearance should be okey in the dry season.