# Lions and Rhinos Return to Akagera (2015)

URL: https://allhistories.com/rwanda/timeline/2015-lions-and-rhinos-return-to-akagera
Location: Akagera National Park, Rwanda
Themes: main-event

Akagera National Park, created by the Belgians in 1934 along the Tanzanian border, lost much of its area and wildlife after the genocide, when returning refugees and their cattle settled in the park and lions were poisoned to protect herds. By the early 2000s lions and black rhinos had disappeared from Rwanda. In 2010 the Rwanda Development Board handed management to African Parks, a non-profit conservation organisation, which fenced the park and cracked down on poaching. On 29 June 2015 seven lions, two males and five females from South African reserves, were released into Akagera after a period in a holding boma, marking the return of the species to Rwanda. In May 2017 eighteen eastern black rhinos were flown in from South Africa, followed in later years by more rhinos, including southern white rhinos in 2021. The lion population grew steadily. The reintroductions turned Akagera into Rwanda's only "Big Five" park and a major contributor to tourism revenue, complementing gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. The park became an often-cited example of partnership between the state, private conservation organisations and local communities, which receive a share of tourism income. At this point in the timeline (29 June 2015), the President of Rwanda was Paul Kagame (6 September 2010 – 18 August 2017). Government: the Prime Minister of Rwanda was Anastase Murekezi (24 July 2014 – 30 August 2017).

## Why it matters
The return of lions and rhinos restored a lost part of Rwanda's natural heritage and boosted its conservation-led tourism.

Ruler at the Time: [Paul Kagame](https://allhistories.com/rwanda/rulers/paul-kagame)

Prime Minister of Rwanda: Anastase Murekezi (PSD)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Akagera National Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akagera_National_Park)
- [African Parks — Akagera](https://www.africanparks.org/the-parks/akagera)
- [Visit Rwanda — Akagera National Park](https://www.visitrwanda.com/destinations/akagera-national-park/)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Akagera National Park](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Akagera+National+Park)
- [Wikipedia — The Contemporary Republic (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda)