Just like parrots, gray crowned cranes (Balearica regulorum) are uniformly intelligent. This, coupled with their striking appearance, made them prone to illegal trade in Rwanda, as bird lovers obsessed about having them in their gardens both for aesthetics and security purposes.
With time, these colorful and elegant creatures almost became extinct, until Dr. Olivier Nsengimana forestalled their illegal poaching. Through the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA), he led the rescue of these endangered birds, providing them with a safe haven–Umusambi (Kinyarwanda word for gray cranes) village, a wetland in Kabuga.
The decision to visit this sanctuary was twofold: primarily for an assignment, but also out of curiosity. Crested/Gray Cranes are the national bird of Uganda, my home country, yet I knew very little about them. So, on a chilly Saturday morning, I jumped on a motorbike for the 40-minute ride from Gisozi to the suburbs for some bird watching.
The vibrant, lush bamboo lining the village fence, the blooming flower gardens, and the golden-brown and black two-story wooden café with its elegant rustic benches near the entrance all hinted at the paradise that awaited me inside.
After registering my contact information in a guestbook and disinfecting my shoes from a basin placed at the en – trance, I stepped into this oasis. A wooden signage that displayed various logos of the park’s sponsors welcomed me as I made my way to the reception–a cozy room with a fancy wooden reception table in the center. To the right, shelves held reading materials— books, brochures, and fliers about Rwanda and conservation—while a souvenir rack offered ‘Umusambi’ shirts and hats on the left.
There were also wall and table baskets, along with interesting educational facts. One that stuck with me was: The population of dragonflies indicates water cleanliness—did you know? Two cheerful ladies welcomed me–one named Mireille Kayirangwa, who happened to be my tour guide.
About Umusambi Village
Sitted on 21 hectares in Kabuga, on the outskirts of Kigali, the wetland was designated by the Government of Rwanda through Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to provide a safe and nurturing habitat for the endangered gray crowned cranes.
Most of these were being kept in people’s homes, and although their wings had been clipped to prevent them from flying away, the rescuers– RWCA were undeterred.
Mireille Kayirangwa, a professional tour guide with a bachelor’s degree in zoology and conservation, and four years experience at the village, explained that the rescue plan involved educating people about the importance of protecting the birds–handing them over to the ‘rightful’ care – takers (RWCA).
“We started by explaining our intentions to the then ‘owners’ of the cranes–they had paid to get them, yet we weren’t going to make any refunds. All we did was give them our contacts and once ready, they could call us to go collect the birds,” Kayirangwa explained.
In 2018, restoration activities for Umusambi village commenced, with the first batch of cranes (about 50 in total) brought in 2020. Unfortunately, the majority of these were in a sorry state–calling for months of quarantine at the village, whilst the healthy ones were moved to Akagera National Park.
Despite their impairments, the cranes at Umusambi could still breed, laying their first eggs in 2021–ushering in a new generation of healthy cranes.
Interesting facts about the cranes
According to Kayirangwa, gray crowned cranes breed their nests on the ground and roost in the trees. They lay between 1–4 eggs that hatch after a period of 28–30 days. Surprisingly, both the male and female cranes engage in the hatching of the eggs.
When the chicks hatch–hatchlings, they are looked after for a long time. As a result cranes take a while without laying more eggs. The chicks are golden brown in color which changes to black, gray, yellow and red as they grow. They start to fly at two months, however, their color remains the same until they’re 4 months or more–juvenile (teenage) stage.
Unlike humans (who can have multiple partners), gray cranes are monogamous and very loyal to their ‘partners’. “A male and female crane stay together for life,” remarked Kayirangwa. “In fact, if a ‘single’ crane tries to ‘seduce’ one that has a partner, a fight erupts,” she stressed. To attract mates or alert each other of danger, cranes make a booming call that involves inflating their red gular sac.
When it comes to feeding, these beautiful to the eye creatures are omnivores–eat both meat and grass. With the exception of the ones at Umusambi village that are privileged to have food supplements rich in carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Shy in nature, cranes fly away on seeing people approach–but not ‘Mutesi’ who I was fortunate to see up close. According to Kayirangwa, she is very habituated and would choose to stay with people any day. Wondering where she got her name from? “All cranes that were confiscated from people’s homes were given nicknames and leg bands for easy identification. “The bands and names aid in registration and monitoring, especially during vaccinating time, as well as differentiating cases of disability.”
Granted a safe haven, cranes can live up to Ultimately, 30 years. The safer the habitat (with no predators), the longer they live and vice versa.
Beyond the Grey Crowned Cranes
Besides gray crowned cranes, Umusambi Village is home to over 130 bird species. Among these are; the mouse bird, pied kingfisher, herons, and the weavers (these are in large numbers during the rainy season but migrate in summer).
The village also harbors multiple tree species like the famous ‘umuko’–Erythina abyssinica, which according to Kayirangwa, used to be Rwandans’ favourite. It is alleged that a ‘king’–Ryangombe was once attacked by a buffalo but climbed the tree to hide, hence people planted it in their homes for protection purposes.
Others include the acacia tree, a ‘darling’ to cranes, aloe vera, among others. This grove of trees is home to antelopes, as well as providing raw materials for cranes and other birds to make their nests.
In addition, they provide shelter for tourists who visit the village for picnics, photoshoots, nature walks and educational purposes. There’s also a tree nursery with over 25 tree species that upon growing, some are planted within the village and in different parts of the country. So far, 80,000 trees have been planted, says Kayirangwa.
“Most of the trees in the village are exotic, but we want to change that as the cranes prefer native trees. Besides, native trees are the ‘best’ for biodiversity. Hence, we are removing the exotic ones and planting native ones.”
At Umusambi, all species matter. As such, bees, bats and butterflies are also protected. Beehives are spotted in some of the trees in the village, these provide the traditional honey that is sold in the village souvenir shop.
The butterflies also have a gazetted home of their own that is only accessible to not more than 10 people at a go. Kayirangwa notes that butterflies in Rwanda are endangered species thus their protection. Among the species in the house is the African queen, African migrant and diadem. These were brought after thorough research to determine their host plants.
“Some butterflies feed only on one plant and not the other, hence before bringing them, we make sure their source of food is available,” explained Kayirangwa. Nonetheless, watermelon juice is available to supplement the nectar from the flowers in the house.
Asked what happens to the butterflies once they’ve multiplied, Kayirangwa clarified that they are freed. She however, noted that despite laying numerous eggs, butterflies also die fast thus having them in plenty is hard.
On why it’s important for them to conserve these species, she says that butterflies are crucial for the ecosystem as they contribute to pollination.
For the bats, Kayirangwa says the project is aimed to steer the misconceptions the public has on bats. “Here in Rwanda, bats are perceived as demonic hence killed yet they are equally important for our ecosystem,” she remarked.
Kayirangwa says there are three types of bats: those that feed on insects, those that feed on fruits, while others prefer nectar. The insect-eating bats aid in reducing mosquitos and pests, while the fruit and nectar eating ones are useful for their role in seed dispersal and pollination respectively.
Impacts of Umusambi to society
The work of Umusambi village stretches beyond crane conservation to nature conservation. This includes not only the planting and restoration of trees, but also conserving the environment. For Instance, instead of single use plastic bags as nursery beds for trees, the village adopted the use of multiple use pots.
Being a wetland, the village is a habitat for amphibians, reptiles, mammals and vertebrates. Not to mention, its contribution in preventing soil erosion and flooding. Moreover, the village receives over 7,000 visitors a year with all proceeds directly invested in projects like bat conservation in the Northern part of the country, research, tree planting, among others.
Similarly, the young generation and the community at large are sensitized about the vital role of wetlands and conservation through community education programs funded by the village. Needless to say, community livelihoods have been improved through hundreds of employment opportunities provided by the village in departments like the cafeteria, housekeeping, guides, researchers, among others.
“We have a group of women who used to destroy wetlands in search of papyrus to make baskets. These were put on a payroll by the village and assisted to venture into other businesses like tailoring,” explained Kayirangwa.
Umusambi Village has successfully rehabilitated and released numerous cranes back into the wild courtesy of its meticulously managed environment that provides the birds with a safe and nurturing habitat, free from the dangers. This success story not only helps stabilize the crane population but also sets a precedent for other conservation efforts in the region.
“Are those drizzles? I asked Kayirangwa. “Oh yes they are”, she replied. “Are we not supposed to be in summer?” I muttered. “Yes, we are, but as you may know, we are nearing the assumption day–a special day for the Catholics. It’s when Mary (mother of Jesus) ascended to heaven,” she told me intently. Adding that on that day, it tends to rain, but since seasons are changing, it may have chosen to start now.
Kayirangwa was knowledgeable about almost everything; birds, plants, life, name it. If it weren’t for my stomach that started to growl–reminding me of how late it was getting, I would have spent an entire day listening to her wise words. But hey, Umusambi is here to stay, I can always visit again.
Besides, the entrance fee is affordable for East African Citizens–3,000RWF only. Not to mention the membership packages that I and my loved ones can always take advantage of.
