Lions Return To Rwanda After 15-Year Absence

After 15 years, lions are back in Rwanda, through the efforts of conservation group African Parks.

ABC reported that lions were wiped out during the human genocide in the eastern African country in 1994. Fleeing people occupied some parts of the Akagera National Park where lions used to roam but these were eventually driven out or killed.

On June 29, 2015, seven lions, two males and five females, will be tranquilized and transported by air from South Africa to Rwanda. Two parks in KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa with relatively small and confined reserves will have to transfer surplus lions, resulting to the seven big cats moving to Rwanda. The journey will take about 26 hours by truck and plane. The Guardian reported that the seven lions were particularly selected based on future reproductive potential and their ability to contribute to social cohesion.

According to the park team, the lions will be constantly monitored by a veterinary team with experience in transferring these kinds of animals. The lions will be tranquilized to reduce stress and they will also be given fresh water throughout the trip. They will be quarantined for two weeks before being released into the eastern part of the park. The park spans 112,000 hectares and is bordered by Tanzania. To prepare for the return of the lions, the Akagera park team collaborated with nearby communities to encourage peaceful co-existence with the beasts.

YaminaKaritanyi, Rwanda Development Board head of tourism, said, “It is a breakthrough in the rehabilitation of the park ... Their return will encourage the natural balance of the ecosystem and enhance the tourism product to further contribute to Rwanda’s status as an all-in-one safari destination.”

Based on the same report by The Guardian, the lions will wear satellite collars to prevent them from moving into inhabited locations. After two years, the animals will be re-collared. The park is also fenced to protect both the lions and nearby inhabitants.

Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks, stated that the return of the lions in Akagera is a conservation milestone for the park and the entire country. He shared their group’s joy in partnering with the Rwandan Development Board to successfully restore national parks to their previous biodiversity state. Lions are a key species to the national park and they are delighted to have been a part of its reintroduction.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature included lions in its “red list” of threatened species, which means that the animal is critically endangered.