The Akagera National Park was silent between 1990 and 1994, not even heavy roars from the BIG cats of the world could be heard anymore – the lions. They’d ever felt the worst risk.
The tale of the day had only become disturbing gunshots and heavy ammunition.
This moment there were not only human beings under assault, but also livestock including lions in their peaceful haven of Akagera National Park in the Eastern Region of the country.
The 1994 genocide against Tutsi, a horrific genocide in human history that claimed more than one million life and numerous livestock in the national parks across Rwanda, made all of these occur.
This moment, not even surrounding communities that had enjoyed these loudest sounds from the park until the genocide were able to hear them anymore.
According to accessible study results, lion’s roar is the loudest sound of all livestock.
The roar is so noisy because it has a square shape in its vocal folds. In essence, this shape stabilizes the vocal cords, allowing them to react better to the passing air. According to conservationists, lions can generate loud roars without exerting too much stress on their lungs.
Every noise has a distinct significance, they say. The most famous of these calls is the roar – one of the animal kingdom’s loudest calls that can be heard from as far as 8 km away.
Don’t worry. Lions are roaring to avoid scaring other animals or expressing any intention of attacking the neighboring community.
Instead according to scientists, they do so to tell other lions where they are to demonstrate how large they are, and to warn lions of other prides to stay away from their homeland.
But all these loudest sounds in Rwanda were silent at the beginning of the 1990s.
The government went up with a enormous obligation to take them back to restore, among other wildlife, these lost kings in the Akagera Park.
As a result, in 2010, African Parks – a South Africa-based non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on conservation, inked a deal with Rwanda government to manage Akagera National Park in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), shifting the park’s trajectory from one of oblivion to prosperity and hope.
African Park and RDB claim that in their recent updates on lion population growth and fresh milestones produced so far; the population has since tripled since the reintroduction of lions in 2015.
“Just 4 years ago, 7 wild lions were reintroduced to Akagera Park in Rwanda after a 20-year absence. Today, we are pleased to share that the population has since tripled!,” African Park said its latest updates.
This, African Park says, has been successful – thanks to years of preparation, through effective law enforcement and management.
Since the reintroduction of lions in 2015, the population had already increased with the birth of eleven cubs in the first year, before two extra males were moved from South Africa to Akagera in 2017 to boost the genetic diversity of the population.
Through the assistance of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the same year (2017) also saw the historic return of 18 Eastern black rhinoceros after a 10-year absence.
In June this year, fresh members were obtained by Akagera National Park – the five Eastern Black Rhinos. The endangered Rhinos flew throughout Europe from various zoos.
According to the recent updates of Akagera National Park management, with overhauled law enforcement and considerably decreased poaching to an all_time low for the park, the fresh faces in the park have drawn visitors leaving behind a paycheck that was never deposited before.
Tourism revenue has risen by over 900 percent from $200,000 in 2010 to $2 M in 2018, making Akagera 75 percent self-financing, according to the recent updates.
The earnings came from more than 44,000 visitors, half of whom were Rwandan citizens, who visited the park alone in 2018.
Several high end infrastructures have been developed to attract more tourists, tells the Park executives.
The newest are the Ruzizi Tented Lodge and the Karenge Bush Camp ; the visitors ‘ award winning accommodation choices that promote the park.
The nine tents of the Ruzizi camp overlooking Lake Ihema are spaced wide apart on either side of a stroke reception and dining region, laid away from the coast of the lake and hidden between floating palms and fruiting fig trees.
The lodge is an intimate retreat with a maximum of 20 visitors, depending on the park’s leadership.
Karenge Bush Camp is on the other side of the park a seasonal camp set up twice a year for 3 months at a moment. There should not be a enduring presence of its existence when it is taken down.
The camp provides six tents for up to 12 people.
The park offers several daily visitor prices including $7.5 for Rwandan nationals, $35 for Rwandan residents and $50 for international visitors to enjoy the park.
A Rwandan registered car pays Rwf 10,000 in addition to visitor charges, while a Rwandan registered bus pays Rwf 20,000.
According to the management of Akagera Park, other charges apply for cars registered outside the East African Community.
Meanwhile, as KT Press lately revealed when Eastern Black Rhinos arrived, there has been a significant increase in the population of other livestock in the park.
