Grey Crowned Crane Rugezi Marsh Project

The Grey Crowned Crane Marsh Project championed by Senior Animal Care specialist, Ben Klopf, highlights the majestic crane found in eastern and southern Africa.  The Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium has partnered with the International Crane Foundation, an organization working to secure Rugezi Marsh, which is Rwanda's most important site for the endangered Grey Crowed Crane. Efforts in this region have been focused on supporting communities to grow Napier grass as fodder for livestock as a substitute to harvesting the vegetation from the crucial crane habitat.  In addition, the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium is donating mattresses and fuel-efficient stoves to families as an alternative to harvesting materials from the crane habitat to weave into sleeping mats and fueling inefficient stoves. Scientists are monitoring this breeding area to see how these efforts are positively affecting the Grey Crowned Crane.