For more than a decade, not a single elephant, lion or rhino has been poached in Akagera National Park, marking a major conservation milestone after 15 years of sustained anti-poaching efforts.
The campaign has helped more than double the park's large mammal population, from 4,476 in 2010 to 11,338 in 2023, according to park data, underscoring one of Rwanda's most remarkable wildlife recovery stories.
Once on the brink due to rampant poaching and human pressure, Rwanda's only savannah national park has transformed into a thriving conservation area.
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Following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Akagera was reduced to about two-thirds of its original size to accommodate returning Rwandans. Today, more than 500,000 people live along its boundaries, increasing pressure on land and natural resources.
For years, many residents relied on the park for bushmeat and income, driving widespread poaching.
Park officials say reversing the trend required far more than armed patrols.
According to Jean Paul Karinganire, Akagera National Park&039;s Funding and Reporting Manager, the park's recovery has been driven by sustained ranger patrols, intelligence-led operations, snare removal, stronger law enforcement, fencing, community engagement and investment in tourism.
"The communities living around the park have developed a strong sense of ownership of its ecosystem. Through annual tourism revenue-sharing, development projects are implemented in their communities, creating new opportunities. Wildlife recovery is also the result of years of intensive anti-poaching measures, including ranger patrols, snare removal, community intelligence networks, fencing and stronger law enforcement," Karinganire said.
He noted that nearly 2,000 wire snares had been removed from the park by 2012 through community engagement campaigns. Today, only a small number are recovered each year, reflecting a sharp decline in illegal hunting.
The improved security has enabled the reintroduction of species that had disappeared due to poaching and conflict. Lions returned in 2015 and 2017, black rhinos in 2017 and 2019, and white rhinos in 2021 and 2025, restoring Akagera's Big Five.
Former poachers embrace new livelihoods
One of those helping protect the park today is Issa Ntakiyimana, a former poacher who now leads the Tubungabunge Urusobe rw'Ibinyabuzima Cooperative in Murama Sector, Kayonza District.
After witnessing fellow poachers lose their lives during illegal hunting expeditions, Ntakiyimana abandoned poaching and began encouraging others to do the same.
In 2023, he and five colleagues launched a door-to-door campaign urging poachers to surrender their weapons and traps. Within months, nearly 60 former poachers had joined the initiative.
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"After raising awareness, we handed over eight spears, seven bows and 25 traps previously used to hunt buffaloes and antelopes," Ntakiyimana said.
The group also worked with park rangers to recover wire snares, makeshift camps and cooking equipment hidden inside the park.
Today, cooperative members earn a living through farming instead of poaching.
Local authorities allocated two hectares for food crops and another 30 hectares for coffee cultivation, while members also established a savings and loan scheme to support small businesses.
"Communities around the park now understand the importance of protecting the ecosystem. Conservation has become everyone&039;s responsibility, and we have taken ownership of it," Ntakiyimana said.
The wildlife recovery has also boosted Akagera's tourism industry.
The park now attracts more than 51,700 paying visitors annually and generates over $5 million in revenue each year.
Domestic tourists account for about 60 percent of visitors, while surrounding communities benefit through jobs, procurement opportunities, tourism revenue-sharing and a five percent Special Guarantee Fund that compensates residents for certain wildlife-related damage.
Established in 1934, Akagera National Park covers 1,122 square kilometres across Kayonza, Gatsibo and Nyagatare districts in eastern Rwanda. It is home to the Big Five and more than 500 wildlife species, including hundreds of bird species.