KPRC 2 and the Houston Zoo are in Rwanda to document conservation efforts supported by Houstonians. Follow along with the journey on click2houston.com/conservation.
Every day in Rwanda we’ve seen beautiful landscape, interesting wildlife, and the incredible warmth of the people who call the country home.
We spent several hours driving on Tuesday, which meant a lot of waving and smiling at adults and children along the way who were smiling and waving too. It was wonderful.
Despite the hours on the road, we still fit in time with one of the fast-growing conservation initiatives in Rwanda that the Houston Zoo supports.
Our morning began with a nearly three-hour drive to the Rugezi marsh where we were set to meet the founder of the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA). Much of the drive was in the rain. Even more of it was on skinny dirt roads on the side of the hill. Fortunately, our bus driver has done this before -- and reassures us frequently with “No problem.”
We made it up and downj, and up and down a few more times, along the winding roads that led us to where Dr. Olivier Nsengimana was waiting. Nsengimana is the founder and executive director of RWCA.
He started his organization in 2014 to combat the illegal trade of grey crowned cranes, a species he has loved since he was born. His work with RWCA has expanded over the last decade and is making a big impact for people and animals.
In a whirlwind day, we saw dozens of grey crowned cranes over the Rugezi Marsh. The population of the cranes is growing thanks to the efforts of RWCA.
We met marsh rangers who are protecting the wetlands. Nsengimana told us there are 75 marsh rangers employed by RWCA.
We saw how RWCA recovered and replanted a small island that had been damaged by cows to increase the habitat for the cranes. To do that, they helped the local nearby village come up with a new way to house their livestock and harvest the manure which is a source of income.
And we visited a cooperative where women had received training through RWCA to sew clothes and bags.
RWCA is just one example of how the Houston Zoo’s conservation partners are working to save animals, while helping communities thrive. We’ll be spending more time with RWCA before our trip is over.
Up next on our agenda -- watching the Houston Zoo and RWCA immobilize zebras and move them into Akagera National Park, where they will be protected and no longer a threat to crops people in the farming community there rely on to support and feed their families.
For now -- here’s a couple more pictures of birds we spotted in the area of the Rugezi Marsh.
Look for updates and more pictures from our trip on click2houston.com/conservation.