Dr Olivier Nsengimana, Season 2 Episode 1
Rwanda’s Grey Crowned Cranes were in trouble before a vet and former gorilla doctor stepped in with an innovative plan to save the elegant bird, known for its striking plumage and elaborate courtship dance.
Dr Olivier Nsengimana tells Kate Humble and Edward Whitley how his campaign won support from both Rwandans and the government, boosting the crane’s fragile population by 1,000 individuals.When you fall in love with nature, you can’t let your childhood superhero disappear, Olivier says. It’s not just about saving the cranes, he says, but preserving the life-giving wetlands they inhabit for wildlife – and humanity.
Olivier and his team at Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association, the NGO he founded, are now leading an ambitious plan to reverse declines in the crane across East Africa, with partners in Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi.
Read the episode transcript here.
NEWS FROM OLIVIER
Since the Whitley Gold Award in April, Olivier’s team celebrated 10 years of RWCA in November at which they signed an MOU formalising collaboration with all four countries.
RWCA’s ninth census of Grey Crowned Cranes found that crane numbers in Rugezi Marsh have jumped 21 percent to 351 since 2024. The marsh is home to one quarter of Rwanda’s Grey Crowned Cranes and under the watch of a growing team of Community Rangers. RWCA hosted its third hugely popular Umusambi Football Tournament for men and women around Rugezi Marsh to deepen engagement with local communities. The campaign combines football commentary with conservation education messages and prizes. This year the messages had a particular focus on how to prevent wildfire outbreaks.
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Episode image credit: Lynn Von Gagen, Denver Zoo
Portrait credit: James Rooneyy
