Lions to be relocated in the wild tomorrow

The seven lions which were recently introduced to Akagera National Park will be released into the wild after close to a month aclimatising in a specially constructed 1,000-sqm perimeter in the north side of the park. During their stay, they were fed on meat or at least a few animals would be dropped into the perimeter. However, time has come for the big cats to be independent and hunt for their own food in one of Africa’s most diverse savanna parks, according to Jes Gruner, the park Manager. “We have been monitoring them closely and they have responded very well to the Rwandan climate. We feel this is the right time for them to be set free,” Gruner said on phone. He said Boma’s gates will be opened midmorning to ensure there are a few small animals around to seduce the lions into moving out of the perimeter. “It’s nothing dramatic; we will be careful in this operation, we do not want to compromise with the lions’ security and security of the people around too,” Seven lions, including two males, arrived in Rwanda from South Africa on June 30. They were donated by Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and the two males by Tembe Elephant Reserve and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife protected area. Both game reserves located in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. Before being transported to Rwanda, the lions were fitted with satellite collars which will enable the Akagera National Park team to continue monitoring their movements across the park. The endangered species, with a lot of significance to Rwandan history, had suffered catastrophic losses as a result of the 1990-1994 civil war as well as human encroachment in Akagera National Park. Gruner said tourists can now be able to see the lions in the park; however, it would solely depend on where the animal will be located at the time of visit. “Having lions in the Boma is one thing and having them moving freely in the park is another thing; it’s a great feeling to know that the lions are free to move around the park but also scary at some point. Even though the Park has an electric fence, we need to be more conscious as people surrounding Akagera (national park),” Said Christopher Munyakazi a resident of Nyagashanga, at the outskirts of Akagera Park, Nyagatare District. Lions have been on top of the must see list for many tourists visiting Rwanda and their reintroduction is a milestone for the country’s tourism sector. In a recent interview with this paper, Joseph Birori, the chairman of Rwanda Tour and Travel Association, said reintroduction of lions in Akagera National Park was an added value to tour operators ‘menu’, noting that the country has been relying on other national parks in neighbouring countries. “We can now proudly recommend Akagera National Park to tourists because anyone visiting a savanna national park expects to see lions,” said Birori. Last year, Rwanda earned $303 million from the tourism sector, representing a three per cent increase from the $293m earned in 2013, according to statistics from RDB. It alsi registered 9 per cent increase in number of visitors, from 1.14 million visitors to 1.2 million visitors. Amb. Yamina Karitanyi, the Chief Tourism Officer at RDB, noted that the return of lions will not only increase the number of tourists but also encourage the natural balance of the ecosystem. “This is an addition to Rwandans tourism sector… also cementing Rwanda’s status as conservation focused, all-in-one safari destination,” she is quoted as saying. The reintroduction of the lions in Akagera National Park comes 15 years after the last one was seen in the park.

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Lions to be relocated in the wild tomorrow