Arthur Greene
After saving over 200 grey-crowned cranes, a charity in Rwanda has helped to almost double the population of the endangered native bird.
When the Umusambi Village began saving the elegant bird, they had a population of only 487. But after four years, there are now 881.
The regal Umusambi (meaning “grey crowned bird” in Kinyarwanda) crane wears a crown of golden feathers on its head. It has a black and red throat pouch and stands tall at a height of over one metre.
Its majestic appearance has made it a symbol of status and wealth in its native Rwanda, and is a common sight strutting around the grounds of luxury hotels and private homes.
But to be kept as pets, the crane’s wings must be clipped or its legs broken to prevent it from flying away.
Many of those who have been rescued roam around the sanctuary in the capital Kigali with a limp.
They are also hunted and captured by local communities as well as poachers.
“There was huge demand for the pet trade,” Olivier Nsengimana, who runs the organisation, told Reuters.
“People really enjoyed their dance, their call, it’s just one species that means a lot in the society, in the culture.”
Nsengimana’s love for the Umusambi goes back to his childhood, when dozens of them wandered around his village while he grew up. Their morning call even served as an alarm clock.
Once the birds are well enough to survive in their natural habitat, Nsengimana sets them free in a protected forest.
Image source: KT Press
