RDB has warned about illegal human activities in the parks

Telesphore Ngoga who is the head of the conservation division at the Rwanda Development Board has expressed the concern about the on going illegal activities in the parks saying that they are threatening the bird watching tourism activity. He said there are so many people that have encroached on birds’ habitats carrying out a lot of domestication and selling off some endemic birds thus putting the tourism industry at risk.

 Because this, there are some bird species more so the Grey crowned crane that have been sold to extinction and so if  these birds  continue to be sol from their sanctuaries and poaching is not stopped, then the  species could get extinct in the next few years, Ngoga added.  These illegal human activities have greatly led to decline in the population of the Grey crowned crane because they affect its breeding cycle as the bird’s main habitat is wetlands and marshlands.

Ngoga also said that currently, Rwanda has about 500 Grey crowned cranes but has lost about the same number over a period of 10 years. Once they are no more, it will be a big blow to the bird watching tourists and to the whole tourism industry.  That is why RDB appeals to the general public to help protect these and other birds so that the bird watching industry stays vibrant and attracts more tourists thus generate more revenue.

 According to Ngoga, the Grey crowned crane is hunted for meat and alleged medicinal value but also, some people use the birds as pets in their households and hotels. They are also sold to global illegal wildlife dealers. There is an awareness campaign  going on to discourage people from hunting the birds and encourage the public to report anyone found hunting, selling or keeping the Grey crowned cranes as pets illegally so that they can be punished according to the law.

Otherwise those that are domesticating the birds should take them back to their natural habitat immediately because ministerial Order number 007/2008 of 15/08/2008 forbids anyone from domesticating, selling or collecting the grey crowned cranes’ eggs.

 Other birds that are under threat from human activities include the Red-collared Babbler, Albertine Owlet  which both are only found endemic in Rwanda, the Ladgen’s Bushshrike, Neumann’s Warbler, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Kungwe Apalis and the Purple-breasted Sunbird. They are mainly found in Volcanoes, Akagera and Nyungwe national parks, Gishwati Forest, and in Rugezi, Akanyaru and Nyabarongo swamps. In these habitats, you can find over 650 bird species probably because 15% of the world’s bird species can be found in the East Africa.

It is also important to note that Rwanda’s bird watching industry is one of the products the country markets to tourists and is seen as a high potential tourist attraction capable of generating large sums of revenue for the nation thus should be protected.