Volcanoes national park is among the Four National Parks in Rwanda , part of the great Virunga volcano conservation region covered by Virunga national park Congo and Mgahinga national park Uganda. It was initially a small area around Karisimbi, Mikeno and Visoke volcanoes which was gazetted to protect the Mountain gorillas which were facing the threat of extinction as a result of poaching.
The park was extended in 1929 into Rwanda and the then Belgian Congo and was named Albert national park managed and run by the Belgian Colonial Authorities. In the early 1960s, the park was divided as Rwanda and Congo gained their independence and by the end of that decade, the park was almost half of its original size.
The American zoologist Dian Fossey who was on research on mountain Gorillas in 1967 in the forests of Congo fled due to insecurity and decided to begin her research base at a place between Visoke and Karisimbi volcanoes that was yet to be known as Karisoke research center. She spearheaded the conservation campaign of the mountain gorillas and mobilized resources to fight against poaching in this area, a fight she put up until she was murdered in 1985. She was buried at the research center next to the grave of her favorite gorilla called Digit.
The park continued to experience the problems of Poachers though conservation efforts were also on going . In early 1990s, the park became a battle field for the Rwanda’s civil war which paralyzed tourism activities until 1999. In 2005, in a bid to boost conservation and gorilla tourism in Volcanoes national park , Rwanda introduced the annual baby naming ceremony for baby gorillas known as ‘Kwita Iziina’ which has brought great increase in the gorilla Population in the Park
Volcanoes national park is home to Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei); golden monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis kandti), Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta), buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), elephants , black-fronted duiker (Cephalophus niger), and bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus). The park also harbors 178 bird species including at least 29 endemics to Rwenzori mountains and the Virungas.
Experience in this National Park is a memorable event that anyone can leave to remember.