Leopards in Akagera National Park can be tracked around the Magashi camp area. Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only savannah National Park and also the only place one can track, see, photograph and film Leopards in Rwanda.
However, it’s important to remember that much of Rwanda’s wildlife is just recouping after the political unrest that birthed the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. For example, the leopard population in Akagera National park is only estimated to range between 15 – 20 individual sighted around the Magashi camp – a luxury Safari camp overlooking the expanses of the park and is the best place to stay for people looking to film the elusive Leopards in Akagera National Park. Book Now
Leopard Rare sighting in Akagera Rwanda
Tracking Leopards in Akagera National Park is no easy task and is among the most difficult animals to track and find, they are solitary animals, tread very lightly and often move in unpredictable directions. Although they may make use of game paths and roads, they regularly move through long grass or thickets where their direction of travel is less obvious.
Successful leopard tracking in Akagera National Park relies on evidence and clues left behind. The tracker must anticipate the animal’s movements, interpret other animal and bird calls, as well as recognize exceptionally faint tracks on the ground. If a leopard becomes aware of the tracker, it may crouch, allowing the person to pass by completely unaware of its presence only meters away.
Patience in respect and sensitivity are the guiding principles of leopard habituation within the Park, so great care is taken by the trackers to try and find them without the animal becoming aware of them.
In Rwanda, the big 5 including the critically endangered African Rhino, Lions, Elephant, Buffalo, and the highly secretive Leopard.
Rwanda’s a recent partnership with notable international conservation organizations like African Parks which took over the management of the present-day Akagera National Park – Rwanda’s only Savannah Park, and home to Rwanda’s leopards. Discover the most remarkable experiences in Rwanda other than taking on a game drive, visit Volcanoes National Park to track gorillas and the magical golden monkeys. For many that wish to see the dashing Chimpanzees and the Colobus monkeys in Rwanda’s pristine Nyungwe forests that is home to these special primates.