Rwanda is one of the smallest countries on the African mainland, situated in the African Great Lakes region, and is highly elevated; its geography is dominated by mountains in the west and savanna to the east. The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year. Naturally occurring vegetation is now mostly restricted to the three National Parks (Akagera, Nyungwe Forest and Volcanoes National Park), with agriculture dominating the remainder of the country. Therefore the greatest diversity of large mammals is also found in the three National Parks, which are designated conservation areas. Akagera is home to savanna animals such as giraffes and elephants, while Volcanoes NP hosts an estimated one-third of the worldwide mountain gorilla population. Nyungwe Forest has thirteen primate species including chimpanzees and Ruwenzori colobus monkeys.

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