Each park protects a distinct ecosystem and variety of species . Bordering Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda , into which the Virungas volcanic mountain chain extends , Volcanoes National Park is the most heavily patrolled park in the world and the oldest in Africa . In combination with adjoining parks in the neighboring countries , it serves as the world 's only habitat of the mountain gorillas , whose numbers have been increasing here over the past decade . Visitor numbers to the gorillas are strictly limited and passes must be purchased , often well in advance , from RDB . Golden monkeys also inhabit a separate portion of the park . To the southeast along the Burundian border , Nyungwe National Park hosts a large number of chimpanzees and a variety of other primate species in a highland rainforest environment . The eastern border of Rwanda , along Lake Victoria and Tanzania , is the location of Akagera National Park and protects a variety of African fauna in a savannah ecosystem , including giraffes , elephant , buffalo , baboons , gazelles and zebra . Lions originally inhabited the park but were exterminated by poisoning during and after the Rwandan genocide . The park is currently being fenced in to allow the reintroduction of lions to be imported from South Africa in 2014
Rwandan genocide
Rwandan genocide
National parks of Rwanda