In the South Western part of Uganda likes a conservation area composed of mountains,

National parks, Vegetation cover and wildlife, this is Virunga Conservation Area. The area is
shared by the three countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC. In this article, we shall cover some
of the national parks located in the area and these are Akagera national park and Volcanoes
National Park. These parks encompass the mountains in the Virunga conservation area making
them accessible from either country for tourists. The parks are mostly habitats for the
endangered mountain gorillas but also other species as we shall cover later.

Traveling to the north western part of Rwanda which is a two hours drive from the capital
Kigali is where you will find the Volcanoes National Park which covers 62 square miles of the
tropical rain forest in Virunga Conservation area. Volcanoes National park was derived from
the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif which
include Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. Sabyinyo being the most
frequently hiked mountain of the five gives the tourists a better chance of viewing the
Volcanoes National park. Volcanoes National Park borders all three countries Uganda,
Rwanda, and DRC. It borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of
Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

Volcanoes National park is a habitat to mostly mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. It’s on
this basis that a primatology facility was set up at the park by Dian Fossey to have a study of
the primates and she eventually wrote a book titled “Gorillas In The Mist” based on this park.

Before the 1925s, the mountain gorillas faced extinction from poachers, and hence a small area
bounded by Karisimbi, Bisoke, and Mikeno was gazetted in 1925 with the intent of protecting
the gorillas. The borders of the park were extended further into Rwanda and Congo to form the
Albert National Park which covers a huge area. It is understood to be the first national park to
be created in Africa.

During the Rwandan civil war, the Volcanoes National Park became a battlefield, and it was
attacked in 1992 hence bringing a halt to all tourist operations, and research among others not
until 1999 when all this resumed after the area was deemed safe and secure for tourists.
Volcanoes National Park is a habitat to Flora and Fauna species. The vegetation cover largely
depends on the altitudinal range of the park, there is some lower montane forest, neoboutoria
forest, and bamboo forest that covers like 30% of the park area. Secondary thickets, meadows,
marshes, shrubs, swamps, and small lakes also do exist though they cover a relatively small
area.

Volcanoes National Park is mostly known for its mountain gorillas, however other primates
like golden monkeys do exist as well as non-primates like buffaloes, bush backs, black-fronted
duiker, elephants, and spotted hyenas. Bird species are also among those that add to the scenery
of the park as they total up to 178 species.

Most of the habituated gorilla families are found in Volcanoes National Park hence making it
a better place for gorilla trekking. Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National is a whole beautiful
different experience because of its terrain and rain forest coupled with the chatting birds and
sound of the golden Monkeys,
Volcanoes National Park also has historical sites located inside; which include the Buhanga
Eco-park an ancient woodland containing Rwanda’s most interesting folklore, Musanze caves
that were created after volcanic eruptions many years ago.

Volcanoes National Park is also adventurous and interesting as there are a variety of other
activities that are carried out other than gorilla trekking. These include’ Hiking, canoeing,
mountain biking, bird watching, climbing of karisimbi Volcano( the highest), climbing of
Bisoke volcano, Visit to lake Kivu, tour of the twin lakes, cave exploration visit, cultural village
tours, visit to the primatology facilities d also hike to Diane Fossey grave yard.

The question should be why visit Volcanoes National Park? And the answer to that is to have
a unique experience in a place that is home to the endangered mountain gorillas, home to the
golden monkeys, home to the five Virunga mountains, gives a good hiking experience and it’s
also the center for Gorilla research.

Most of the revenue collected from the park fees is mostly used for the conservation of the park
and wildlife, and local community development, and another share is retained by the
government to run its projects.

Twenty years ago, Rwanda was about to lose one of its Major parks Akagera National Park due to the
aftermath of the 1994 civil war. The aftermath of the civil war had a negative impact on the
environment hence making the revival of this National Park a great miracle once it was achieved.
Located in the North East of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania, about a three hours drive from
the capital of Kigali, Akagera National Park is the only Savannah National park in Rwanda which was
gazette in 1934 and covers about 1,120 square kilometers. Akagera National Park is named after the
Akagera river that flows along its eastern boundary and feeds into Lake Ihema.

The land on which Akagera National Park sits had been encroached by humans as they were mostly
using it for cattle rearing not until it was gazetted for wildlife conservation through strong law
enforcement and community engagement, this helped to reclaim the land. In partnership with the
Rwanda Development Board, African parks assumed management of the park in 2010 and this helped
restore the park’s glory days. Slowly by slowly, wildlife animals like lions and black rhinos were
introduced and their numbers grew.

Being a savannah National Park, Akagera National Park is a habitat for most mammal species like lions,
elephants, giraffes, hippos, kobs, zebras, bushbucks, waterbucks and black rhinos. The lions were
introduced in 2015 and two new male lions in 2017 which enhanced their genetic diversity. The black
rhinos eighteen in number, were introduced in 2017 and again in 2019 after a ten-year absence. The
park is also home to numerous bird species in several habitats like woodlands, swamps, lakes, and the
savannah grass.

The forest cover, the open savannah grass, acacia woodland and the fringed lakes make the park
one of the most scenic and beautiful parks that ought to be visited for sightseeing and a beautiful
experience. Akagera National Park has got low-lying grasslands and savannah plains in the north,
rolling hills and valleys in the west and the East comprises of Akageri river which feeds into a series
of lakes, marshes, and papyrus swamps that make up the largest protected wetlands in East and
Central Africa. This makes the park a very good habitat for wildlife.
The park is visited by both the locals and foreign tourists and looking at the number, it has greatly
improved as compared to before and this has multiplied on the revenue being collected from the
park fees. The park is also visited by school children alongside the teachers and local leaders
under the environment education programme, this has helped to provide the future generation with
the necessary information on why it is important to conserve and protect the environment.

Due to the increase in the number of tourists to up to 50,000 tourists in a year from 2019, Akagera
National Park has managed to self-finance it’s activities and recently a reduction in the number of
tourists was only realized during the covid-19 pandemic, but authorities believe things will get back
to normal now that the pandemic is no longer a threat as it was before.

Some of the main activities at Akegera National Park include game drives that offer a chance to
explore the park fully and enjoy the beautiful scenery and animals like the impalas and the big five.
Game drives can be done in the morning to catch up with the morning hunters and grazers,
afternoon, evening or night hours as well.
Boat cruises are also another way to enjoy the experience at Akageri National Park, the shores of Lake
Ihema where the boat trips are mostly carried out as well as Lake Kivu. These also give a chance to
spot some of the aquatic wildlife.
Other activities may include, cultural tours, bird watching, camping, photography, and videography
and all these are outdoor activities and so it’s always advisable for tourists to come well prepared for
any weather changes.
In conclusion both parks Volcanoes National Park and Akageri National park offer a whole different
experience in exploration of wildlife and are highly recommended for visits.