The Big Stone of Shali
It is an enormous stone of the size of a small Rwandan traditional hut, which is at Shali at Riba in Kibingo. I is at about 12 km from the city of Huye towards Burundi, near the main road. The top of the Big Stone of Shali looks as it had a lid. There is also near the Stone, another big stone but smaller. The history of this place has several versions: some people say that the lightning struck a big stone which was smashed to bits and a piece of which broke loose and flew into the air then fell back

to the ground to form the lid which can be seen. Others say that it is the big one that gave birth to the smaller, given that it is twice its size.
As for the origin of the big stone, it seems that it could be situated during the reign of Ruganzu Ndori.
Some people say that when King Ruganzu carried on a war of expansion against Burundi, seeing that they had not enough forces to fight him, the Barundi sent him a big boa to prevent him from
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Elephant doll

AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK

Situated at lower altitudes on the Tanzanian border, Akagera is dominated scenically by a labyrinth of swamps and lakes that follow the meandering course of the Akagera River, one of the main sources of the River Nile.

Giraffe and zebra haunt the savannah alongside more than a dozen types of antelope, such as the diminutive oribi and the world's largest antelope, the eland. Pods of hippopotami splutter throughout the day while outsized crocodiles soak up the sun with their vast jaws agape.
Along the lake shores are some of the continent's densest concentrations of water birds, while the marshes are home to the endangered bird species like the exquisite papyrus gonolek and the bizarre shoe-bill, probably the most eagerly sought of all African birds.

Year of Gazettement: 1934
Size: 90,000 Hac.
Location from Kigali: Two and half hours drive east of Kigali

Habitats:

• Bush Savannah tangled with acacia and branchystagia woodlands with stands of Euphorbia candlehbrum, patches of rolling grasslands, riverine, lakes and swamps.
• To the west of the park are hills reaching to elevations of 1600m-1800m above sea level

• Features:

• Akagera River
• Lakes: Ihema, Kivumba, Hago, Mihindi, Rwanyakizinga
• Large concentration of mammals e.g. elephants, buffalos, lions, Maasai giraffe, gazelles, impala, baboons, oribi, Butchel's zebra, topi, bushbaby, leopard and bushbuck
• Aquatic life e.g. crocodiles and hippos
• A large concentration of bird life over 425 species identified. Unique species such as Shoe billed stocks and papyrus gonolek can be encountered. Endemics include the jacanas, ibis, sand pipers and herons.
• Mitumba hills
• Accommodation: Akagera Game Lodge, Campsites

Gates: Kabarando and Kiyonza