Rwanda officially joins the list of African countries with the big five game animals following the recent addition of 10 rhinos to Akagera National Park, with 10 more expected in the country in the next one or two weeks.
The rhinos arrived at Kigali International Airport on Tuesday morning from South Africa at around 3:30 am (EAT) aboard an Etihad Airways Cargo plane.
The rhinos were offloaded under the close supervision of a team of veterinary doctors and loaded onto trucks as they made their journey to Akagera National Park.
The Chief Tourism Officer (CTO) of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Belise Kariza, South Africa’s Ambassador to Rwanda, George Twala, and Akagera National Park Manager, Jes Gruner, were among the people who were there to receive the rhinos.
This major development in Rwanda’s tourism industry was made possible by African Parks, a non-profit organization that manages national parks on behalf of governments, the Rwanda Development Board, and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation (the main source of funding).
Rhinos were last seen in Rwanda about 10 years ago and were close to disappearing. In the 1970s, reports claimed that Akagera National Park had around 50 black rhinos, but the number dropped quickly due to poaching.
The last confirmed sighting of rhinos in Rwanda was in 2007.
Before receiving the 10 rhinos, Akagera National Park – a savannah protected area – went through big changes after African Parks took over its management in 2010.
Some of the efforts included creating a rhino tracking team, setting up an anti-poaching unit, and using a helicopter for regular air patrols. All these steps were taken to protect the rhinos from poaching.
Rwanda Development Board’s Chief Executive Officer, Clare Akamanzi, said the animals will help to grow Rwanda’s tourism industry.
Several wildlife experts have said that the return of rhinos is proof of the country’s strong efforts in conservation. Peter Fearnhead, the Chief Executive Officer of African Parks, said rhinos are still at risk because of the illegal rhino horn trade in Asia, even though these animals are a big symbol of Africa.
Chairman and CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Howard G. Buffett, called this development another big step in Rwanda’s conservation and eco-tourism efforts.
With fewer than 5,000 black rhinos left in the world, it is said that there are only about 1,000 Eastern black rhinos remaining. The return of rhinos to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park comes after the re-introduction of lions in 2015. Rwanda’s lion conservation efforts have also been successful, with the number of lions doubling. The park now has 15 lions.
