Akagera – A story of hope with Jes Gruner

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Founded in 1934, Rwanda’s Akagera National Park boasts a history as long and illustrious as some of the continent’s most renowned wildlife areas, yet it remains little known in a country that is much more famous for its gorilla trekking than it is for its only Big Five game reserve.

African Parks Regional Ops Manager for Rwanda Jes Gruner talks about Akagera’s diversity and natural beauty, tracking the park’s history since its establishment and through the ravages of Rwanda’s tumultuous past until it gained a new lease on life through a partnership between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks. He explains how this relationship works and talks about the operational model that has been used to transform Akagera into one of Africa’s prime conservation success stories over the past 12 years, reminiscing about the wildlife translocations that have brought the Big Five back to Rwanda once again.

Find out more about &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, where the translocated lions and rhino came from.

Read about the Return of the Lion Expedition, which allows travellers to follow in the footsteps of the lions relocated from &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve to Akagera National Park.