Lions: Re-introduced to Rwandan national park

The lions in Rwanda's Akagera National Park were poisoned in 1994, by cattle herders who feared for the lives of people displaced by the government-sponsored genocide and for their herds of livestock in the unmanaged park. Until now, no lions have been back in the 270,000-acre park--but on June 30, they will be re-introduced, according to a release from the organization African Parks.

In partnership with the Rwanda Development Board, African Parks will translocate seven lions from South Africa, to arrive on the 30th, the release said.

These lions include five females and two males, all chosen for their reproductive potential and their ability to get along with others. They're coming from Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve and Tembe Elephant Reserve, which are "fairly small, confined reserves where it is necessary sometimes to move surplus lions to avoid overpopulation," according to another release.

The lions have been fitted with satellite collars, so that the Akagera National Park management team can monitor their movements and help prevent them from entering community areas.They'll be quarantined for 14 days and monitored, then released into the park, the release said.

"The return of lions to Akagera is a conservation milestone for the park and the country," said Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks, according to the release from African Parks. "Restoring national parks to their former biodiversity state is a key deliverable of the African Parks conservation model and we, in conjunction with our government partner, the Rwanda Development Board, are delighted to have been able to re-introduce one of the most charismatic species to this beautiful national park."

Ambassador Yamina Karitanyi, the Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board said in a release, "It is a breakthrough in the rehabilitation of the park under the public private partnership between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks. The return of lions will encourage the natural balance of the ecosystem."

Follow @AkageraPark, @RDBrwanda and @TravelRwanda on Twitter for the updates of the journey from South Africa to Rwanda and the reintroduction to Akagera National Park.