Communities living near national parks and wildlife-rich lakes are welcoming new measures to build fences and dig trenches, which have successfully prevented wild animals from destroying their crops.
Residents from districts including Kirehe, Gatsibo, Kayonza, and Nyagatare, near Akagera national park and lakes inhabited by hippos and other wild animals, said the interventions have resolved longstanding crop-raiding problems.
The measures include electrified fencing around the park and deep trenches separating farmland from wildlife habitats, preventing animals from entering agricultural areas.
A local farmer told RBA that animals, especially hippos, frequently entered their fields, destroying crops and causing food shortages. “Before, they would come because there was no fence. Maize, cassava, and even banana plants would be completely destroyed. Livestock would also be affected, and we often faced hunger because our crops were ruined,” the farmer said.
While these measures have greatly reduced crop damage, some challenges remain with animals capable of crossing fences, such as monkeys and baboons.
Nibakure Florance, acting director of the special wildlife protection fund, said that as part of a permanent solution, 12 kilometers of trenches have been dug out of a planned 44 kilometers across Mahama and Mpanga sectors near the Akagera river.
“Work will resume at the end of January and early February because some farmers are still cultivating near the trenches. They need to remove their crops before digging continues,” she explained.
Nibakure added that similar interventions will extend to Bugeshi sector in Rubavu district and Kabatwa sector in Nyabihu, near Volcanoes national park, where wildlife intrusions are common.
“In Volcanoes, we are digging trenches and building stone walls. The park plans to expand southwards, and once completed, the project will be fully operational,” she said.
A 2025 report by the special wildlife protection fund shows that wildlife-related crop damage has tripled over the past five years. Since 2019, over 26,000 complaints have been recorded from communities living near parks.
