Grey crowned cranes resource

Grey crowned cranes are tall, majestic birds. They are a symbol of wealth and longevity in many countries and cultures. Unfortunately, over recent decades this actually caused them to become endangered, and especially so in Rwanda. The pet trade, egg collection, on top of habitat loss, poaching for food and poisoning, was devastating. However, in 2014 Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association – decided to address the problems. They started a campaign to protect both the cranes and their habitats. RWCA set out to end the illegal trade in Rwanda’s grey crowned cranes, and to their great credit have now largely succeeded. Trading in cranes and keeping them as pets, is now history in Rwanda. Another wonderful achievement is that the population of wild grey crowned cranes has now more than doubled in Rwanda! In 2017 the national census recorded just 487 cranes. In 2024 the census recorded 1293! We’re sure that the just completed 2025 census will show further success.

PACE is very proud to have produced its’ latest conservation education resource together with RWCA. It will support their ongoing conservation work raising awareness of the value and beauty of cranes, and engaging communities in continued conservation. There are extracts below. It can be viewed in full on our resources page, where you can also download a pdf copy.