The Umusambi Village in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali has rescued more than 200 grey crowned cranes from captivity over the years, helping to boost the population of the endangered birds to 881 from 487 just four years ago reut.rs/2Xt3T8r 1/5
Before the intervention, local communities were hunting or capturing the birds to sell, said veterinarian Olivier Nsengimana, whose conservation organization runs Umusambi Village together with the government. The name means grey crowned bird in the Kinyarwanda language 2/5
Nsengimana’s passion for cranes goes back to his childhood, growing up in a village filled with grey crowned cranes that served as alarm clocks and provided entertainment 3/5
These cranes, which sport a yellow crown of feathers and a black and red throat pouch, has often been seen as a status and wealth symbol in Rwanda. They are often found in private homes or hotels, where they are kept as pets 4/5
Some of the rescued birds in Umusambi Village end up there after being injured by poachers. Others were kept in homes after their legs had been broken or wings were clipped by their captors to prevent them from flying away reut.rs/2Xt3T8r 5/5
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