Elephant Encounters in Akagera National Park is such one of the most exciting experiences not only in Rwanda but also in Africa. Elephants are usually peaceful but caution should be always taken. See information herein this guide to help you understand how you need to behave on an Elephant encounters.
Adult males and females live separately in different structured societies. A breeding herd consists of related females headed by the matriarch, generally the largest cow in the herd. Bulls are usually solitary but sometimes form temporally bachelor groups and may be on the periphery of breeding herds. Book Now
Elephants in Akagera National Park
While on Elephant encounters, observe the females usually become aggressive if young calves are present and males can be aggressive during musth, a period increased testosterone. You may see secretions from their temporal glands.
Should you see an elephant on the road, give it plenty of space and enjoy the viewing while you wait for it to move on. Always take good look around while on Elephant encounter, there may be more that you have not noticed especially when the vegetation is too thick you may not see if there others in the herd. If you are so close to an elephant and you cannot see far around you. Move back and re-approach with caution to ensure you do not get trapped in the middle of the herd and you are unable to move forward or back
Give space to other cars! Elephants use their trucks, ears and movements of the head to indicate aggression. Throwing dust, foot swinging and exaggerated feeding behavior can all indicated their fear or indecision. Should you notice this on Elephant encounters, the elephants may be agitated, give it space and make sure you are in position of retreat if necessary
On Elephants encounters, most charges are mock charges, however, if an attack is followed through an elephant is capable of doing a lot of damage, so please make sure you are always in a position to retreat quickly if necessary. It is always better to be so cautious.
Avoid making loud noises which may frighten the elephants, do not beep your horn or rev your car, it may trigger the fight or flight reaction and may cause a charge
Never get out of your car to take a close look at elephant encounters. Akagera has a lot of animals including Leopards, lions and the famous hippos. In Uganda elephants can be spotted in Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park
Most tourist that have encountered the elephants of Akagera, goes an extra mile to visit Volcanoes National Park to do a gorillas safari in Rwanda an experience that is has really changed the lives of many tourist that have visited Rwanda. Whereas in Uganda a gorilla trekking safari is carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable Forests Park