Akagera park residents wary of stray animals

Residents neighbouring the Akagera Park have expressed concern over the continued roaming of wild animals. The animals destroy crops and remain a threat to human life, they say. Buffaloes, hippos, hyenas, monkeys, among others were expected to be within Akagera Park after its fencing but the wild animals still roam freely in residential neighbourhoods. Edward Gashumba, a resident of Kageyo in Kayonza District, told The New Times, yesterday, that the memory of wild animals going on rampage in communities a couple of years ago, was still fresh in people’s minds. “Farmers suffered loss of livestock, which is prey to the wild animals, and crop losses due to raids by buffaloes and other animals. We only harvest half of what we should be getting because of animals. Nothing has changed even after the fencing,” he said. The park fencing was funded by the Rwanda Development Board at about Rwf2.7 billion and the perimetre wall is expected to last 40 years. Alex Nkubana, a resident of Mwiri sector in Kayonza, said the Akagera Management Company efforts to drive back the stray animals to the park had failed. “Operations to get the animals back into the park were carried out using helicopters…but it was not effective as many animals remained behind,” Nkubana said. “I have lost at least four heifers to hyenas. Keeping cattle here is seemingly impossible. We can not keep on relying on compensation either, since the process to get compensated is also costly,” he added. In 2011, a 110 kilo metre electric fence was erected around the park to contain the human-wildlife conflict along the boundary. The fence is powered by solar energy, a resource abundant in the area. Eugene Mutangana, head of law enforcement and Deputy CEO of the park, however, assured residents that the remaining stray animals in their midst would be taken back to the park. He said hundreds of stray animals were pushed back, following the installation of an electronic fence around the park, noting that only few ‘‘stubborn’’ animals were still in human settlement areas. “The only animal that jumps over the fence is the baboon. The human-wild life conflict will be history in the coming years…,” he said. Akagera Park was founded in 1934 is the largest in the country. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Akagera park residents wary of stray animals