"He has destroyed crops but so far no one has reported any damage to infrastructure," Ruzigandekwe said, adding that Mutware had been spotted as far as 10 kilometers (six miles) from the park since he left on Saturday.
Last year, the 37-year-old elephant wrecked at least three cars in Akagera, sparking an unusual warning from the U.S. embassy in Kigali advising park visitors to steer well clear of sites he is known to frequent.
As with his current foray thus far, no one was injured in those attacks but they enhanced Mutware's fearsome reputation and frightened villagers who are now demanding action to stop the elephant's roaming.
Ruzigandekwe said two teams of experts had been sent to the region to track Mutware and return him to the park and that authorities were considering constructing some kind of barrier to keep him from straying.
"We're looking at ways of putting a barrier around the park," he said. "We're going to start by digging a ditch around it."
Park rangers have said Akagera's boundaries have been reduced over the years due to population pressures and that Mutware, with his elephant's memory, may still remember the old borders and not realize he is leaving a protected area.
Name: African Elephant (
Loxodonta africana)
Primary Classification: Proboscidea (Elephants)
Location: Africa.
Habitat: Wide range, including desert, scrub, savanna and high rainforest.
Diet: Bark, fruit, grass and leaves.
Size: Up to 16 ft in length, 13 ft in height, and 11 tons in weight.
Description: Gray, sparsely haired skin; large ears, which aid in temperature regulation; long, forward-curving ivory tusks, used for fighting, digging and eating; long, muscular trunk with two finger-like projections at the tip.
Cool Facts: It is the largest land mammal on Earth. It takes care of weak and injured pack members and grieves over dead companions. It has a particular fascination with the tusks and bones of dead elephants.
Conservation Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Poaching
What Can I Do?: Visit
Save the Elephants, the
African Wildlife Foundation, and the
Living With Elephants Foundation for information on how you can help endangered elephants.
