Akagera National Park has announced the addition of 43 newly identified elephants to its Elephant Identification (ID) database of 2025.
The update was shared through the park’s official social media platforms on January 27, 2026.
According to park authorities, the newly identified elephants include 25 females and 18 males. Each elephant has been documented with photographs and unique physical characteristics, allowing for accurate long-term monitoring.
With these additions, the Elephant ID database now contains records for 106 individually identified elephants—61 females and 45 males. This represents approximately 75.4% of the park’s estimated total elephant population of 142.
Akagera National Park management noted that the ongoing identification and census process plays a crucial role in understanding elephant demographics, movement patterns, and social structures.
The data supports more effective conservation planning and informed management of the park’s elephant population.
Located in eastern Rwanda, Akagera National Park was established in 1934 and covers an area of 1,122 square kilometers.
It is home to some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife species, including lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceroses, and buffaloes. The park also hosts Impala, Imparage, Isha and more than 500 species of biodiversity, including a wide variety of birds rarely found elsewhere.
Akagera is one of Rwanda’s most visited tourism destinations, attracting over 50,000 visitors annually. Official statistics show that visitor numbers increased by 3.83% in 2024, rising to 56,219 visitors from 54,141 in 2023.
Over the past three decades, Rwanda has invested heavily in restoring Akagera after decades of poaching and wildlife loss, helping the park’s wildlife populations recover and flourish.
