Akagera National Park has adopted a new approach to secure animals by introducing sniffer dogs to check poaching in the protected area.

The move follows the reintroduction of seven lions in the park, whose management also plans to reintroduce black rhinos. The wildlife in the park needs to be protected at all costs to avoid repeat of the past mistakes.

However, it is important for the park authorities to continue engaging and sensitising communities bordering the park so that they understand and support the institution’s conservation efforts.

To secure the animals and plant species in the park, communities around the park should also understand the benefits that accrue from protecting the park animals, birds and plants, as well as other species.

It is also crucial to put in place other protective measures to complement the park’s Canine Unit’s effort. Creating a buffer zone between the park and human settlements is one such measure as it will help reduce contact between the two.

Also, revenue-sharing programmes should be strengthened to increase benefits for communities surrounding the park for them to "own” and protect the animals. The youth in the area could also be equipped with skills to help them serve the sector, say as tour guides or business people supplying items to hotels and camps in the park.

Cultural tourism is another way communities can participate in the industry to earn a living and avoid poaching. Otherwise, deploying a Canine Unit in the park is a great intervention but can only do so much.

So let’s join hands to ensure our parks are safe from marauding poachers. Besides employing thousands of Rwandans, the tourism sector is the country’s top foreign exchange earner. The sector recorded $303 million (Rwf22.7 billion) in revenue last year, a huge chunk of which was from visitors to parks, Akagera inclusive.