Akagera National Park

🇷🇼 Rwanda

🐟 African Fish Eagle Soaring Akagera

🌍 #25 Global · 4.8 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #18 in Africa #19 in Savanna & Grassland

East Africa, Rwanda 1048 spp. recorded

Akagera National Park sits in eastern Rwanda, where the tropical savanna meets a chain of lakes and gentle hills. Open grasslands, scattered acacia, and the shimmering shoreline of Lake Ihema give the park a blend of dry plains and wetland edge that sets it apart from Rwanda’s mountain reserves.

-1.670° S 30.736° E

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Lion

Panthera leo

60–70% · Likely

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Very likely

East African Giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

70–80% · Very likely

African Fish-Eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

80–90% · Very likely

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

80–90% · Very likely

Olive Baboon

Papio anubis

80–90% · Very likely

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

70–80% · Very likely

Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

70–80% · Very likely

Rüppell's Glossy-starling

Lamprotornis purpuroptera

70–80% · Very likely

Topi

Damaliscus korrigum

70–80% · Very likely

African Buffalo

Syncerus caffer

70–80% · Very likely

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

70–80% · Very likely

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

60–70% · Likely

Cape Turtle Dove

Streptopelia capicola

60–70% · Likely

Vervet Monkey

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

60–70% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Lion

Panthera leo

60–70% · Likely

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Very likely

East African Giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

80–90% · Very likely

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

80–90% · Very likely

Olive Baboon

Papio anubis

80–90% · Very likely

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

70–80% · Very likely

Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

70–80% · Very likely

Topi

Damaliscus korrigum

70–80% · Very likely

African Buffalo

Syncerus caffer

70–80% · Very likely

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

70–80% · Very likely

Vervet Monkey

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

60–70% · Likely

White Rhinoceros

Ceratotherium simum

50–60% · Likely

Northern Bushbuck

Tragelaphus scriptus

40–50% · Likely

Leopard

Panthera pardus

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

African Fish-Eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Rüppell's Glossy-starling

Lamprotornis purpuroptera

70–80% · Very likely

Cape Turtle Dove

Streptopelia capicola

60–70% · Likely

Common Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus

60–70% · Likely

Speckled Mousebird

Colius striatus

60–70% · Likely

Red-necked Francolin

Pternistis afer

60–70% · Likely

Bare-Faced Go-Away-Bird

Corythaixoides personatus

60–70% · Likely

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilis

60–70% · Likely

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

Uraeginthus bengalus

60–70% · Likely

African Wattled Lapwing

Vanellus senegallus

60–70% · Likely

Lilac-breasted Roller

Coracias caudatus

50–60% · Likely

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Lamprotornis chalybaeus

50–60% · Likely

Grey-backed Fiscal

Lanius excubitoroides

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

60–70% · Likely

Nile Monitor

Varanus niloticus

40–50% · Likely

Speke's Hinge-back Tortoise

Kinixys spekii

20–30% · Possible

African Striped Skink

Trachylepis striata

Insufficient data

Tree skink

Trachylepis planifrons

Insufficient data

Black-necked Spitting Cobra

Naja nigricollis

Insufficient data

Variable Skink

Trachylepis varia

Insufficient data

Spotted Bush Snake

Philothamnus semivariegatus

Insufficient data

Puff Adder

Bitis arietans

Insufficient data

Black Mamba

Dendroaspis polylepis

Insufficient data

Tropical House Gecko

Hemidactylus mabouia

Insufficient data

Helmeted Turtle

Pelomedusa subrufa

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Common Reed Frog

Hyperolius viridiflavus

20–30% · Possible

Natal Puddle Frog

Phrynobatrachus natalensis

Insufficient data

Bocage's Tree Frog

Leptopelis bocagii

Insufficient data

Nile Ridged Frog

Ptychadena nilotica

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦌

Lion Tracking & Predator Spotting

JanFebAprAug

Akagera is one of the few parks in Rwanda where lions can be reliably observed, offering thrilling predator-prey dynamics. Guided game drives maximize sightings during cooler hours.

Lion

Panthera leo

60–70% · Likely

🐦

Birdwatching Bonanza

AprJulOctDec

Akagera’s wetlands and savannas host over 500 bird species, including rare raptors and waterbirds. Dawn chorus and boat safaris enhance sightings.

African Fish-Eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer

70–80% · Very likely

Pied Kingfisher

Ceryle rudis

50–60% · Likely

🦌

Big Five Safari

Jul

July is the optimal month for Big Five sightings, with high visibility due to sparse vegetation and animals congregating around waterholes. Elephants, lions, and rhinos are most active.

White Rhinoceros

Ceratotherium simum

50–60% · Likely

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Very likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

50–60

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

50–60

60–70

20–30

30–40

60–70

60–70

30–40

50–60

60–70

50–60

African Bush Elephant

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

40–50

80–90

70–80

60–70

80–90

70–80

70–80

East African Giraffe

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

40–50

80–90

50–60

60–70

African Fish-Eagle

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

90–100

80–90

40–50

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

90–100

80–90

40–50

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

70–80

Common Hippopotamus

70–80

50–60

70–80

80–90

60–70

80–90

80–90

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

50–60

60–70

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

80–90

70–80

50–60

80–90

50–60

70–80

Rüppell's Glossy-starling

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

African Buffalo

50–60

50–60

40–50

80–90

70–80

60–70

80–90

70–80

50–60

70–80

60–70

50–60

70–80

50–60

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

30–40

80–90

70–80

60–70

40–50

20–30

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

30–40

80–90

70–80

60–70

Cape Turtle Dove

60–70

50–60

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

70–80

50–60

50–60

70–80

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

70–80

70–80

60–70

80–90

70–80

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

Animal Events

🦌 Lion Tracking & Predator Spotting

🐦 Birdwatching Bonanza

🦌 Big Five Safari

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ World-class

🐟 African Fish Eagle Soaring Akagera

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.2 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

704

🐒 Mammals

198

🦎 Reptiles

115

🐸 Amphibians

31

1048 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

32 Threatened 4 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

77%

📊

Coverage (265 species at ≥5% of 1048 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

25%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (10 mammal, 2 bird)

47% Global avg

37%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

210

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

33

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

61

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