KIGALI, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Akagera National Park in Rwanda said in a statement released on Sunday that the number of lions in the park has now grown to 58 from none more than 20 years ago, attributable to bold conservation efforts.

Akagera National Park, located in the eastern part of the country, enjoys the special status of being a "big five" park because it hosts lions, leopards, black rhinoceros, African bush elephants, and African buffalos.

According to the statement, once numbering 300 individuals, lions were extirpated from Akagera by 2001, due to poaching and human-wildlife conflict.

Following a 15-year absence, lions were reintroduced to the park when seven individuals were translocated from South Africa, said the statement, adding that an additional two males were translocated in 2017 to add genetic diversity to the population.

The park said the steady population growth of the lions is due to routine tracking, sightings and reports from staff and guests that help to draw information about the animals. The lions' population growth is also attributable to the successful minimization of poaching and prevention of human-lions conflict along the park's boundaries.

Since 2010, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and African Parks, a non-governmental organization focusing on conservation, partnered to manage Akagera, transforming the park into one of the most coveted wildlife destinations in Africa.

According to the RDB, law enforcement was overhauled along with the reinforcement of robust community programs which allowed wildlife to increase. Enditem

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