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By Annonciata BYUKUSENGE
The community know that the animals are killed by poachers for various reasons, but in Nyungwe National Park more than 200 killed by road accidents.
Uwamariya is a woman live around of Nyungwe National Park. She highlighted that last year saw more than 20 animals killed by accident in the road Gisakura-Kitabi.
“The people live around Nyungwe we try to protect wildlife and to report poacher to the park authorities when we identify them into the park. But the government can conduct the campaign in order to raise awareness of drivers use this road the importance of wildlife in their life. Last year I saw the death of animals in this road and the drivers continued their travels.”
She added that if the death of animals cause by the accident can’t stop, some animals cross in this road will disappear like elephants disappeared because of poachers.
Her colleague Sibomana live at Kitabi. He said that the death of animals caused by road accident is too much and the place they are killed is into the park.
“For me this road from Kigali to Rusizi through Nyungwe National park must be closed in order to protect wildlife live into Nyungwe. If not, the animals continue to kill by road accident. As my observation, the drivers travelling in this road Kitabi –Gisakura are careless for wildlife.”
Now the management of Nyungwe national park, is in hands of African Park from 2020 after signing the agreements with the government of Rwanda as Protais Niyigaba, the Park Manager mentioned. In order to resolve this problem of the wildlife death cause by the road accident, they started by collection the information about this issue.
“Last year, it was period of gathering data and finding out the status of the problem because no decision will be made to solve it until the status of the problem is known. The findings show that in 2021 and 2022, the 203 animals killed by road accident in the road Kitabi-Gisakura.” Said Niyigaba.
They started advocacy at various levels of stakeholders; now there is a step on this advocacy. In two months ago, the cameras were installed in Nyungwe National park in order to control the drivers travelling in this road with over speed.
“A part of this advocacy, we conducted two campaign in different periods in partnership with Rwanda national Police and Gisakura Cultural Village.” Added Niyigaba.
Nyungwe National Park was established in 2004 and covers an area of approximately 1,019 km2. Located in southwest Rwanda, partly abutting the Burundi border. It’s a vast area of mountain rainforest, home to many species of chimpanzees, plus owl-faced and colobus monkeys. The Canopy Walkway, part of the Igishigishigi Trail, is a high suspension bridge with views over the valley and surrounding forests. A trail runs to the Kamiranzovu Marsh, with its birdlife, orchids and waterfall.
What does the law say about injuring animal?
The law prescribes a prison sentence of between one and three years for a person convicted for poaching, injuring, taking, harassing or breeding a wild animal and a fine of between Rwf500,000 ($482) and Rwf1 million ($966).
If the offence is committed against critically endangered or endangered species, the penalty is a prison term of not less than five years but not more than 10 years and a fine of not less than Rwf5 million ($4820) but not more than Rwf10 million ($9706).
A person convicted for possession, transferring, selling, buying or using a wild animal is liable to imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than five years and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million ($966) but not more than Rwf5 million ($4820).
When the offence referred to is committed against critically endangered or endangered species, the penalty is between five and 10 years in prison and a fine of between Rwf5 million and Rwf10 million.
A person who takes or destroys eggs or nests of wild animals commits an offence. Upon conviction, he or she is liable to a term of imprisonment of between six months and two years and a fine of between Rwf500,000 and Rwf1 million.
In case this offence is committed against the eggs or nests of critically endangered species, and endangered species, the penalty goes up to between three and five years and a fine of between Rwf2 million and Rwf5 million.
According to the draft legislation, a person convicted for removing animal species from their habitat, harming, transporting, or hawking them is liable to a term of imprisonment of between six months and two years and a fine of not less than Rwf500,000, but not more than Rwf1 million.
In case it’s committed against endangered species, the jail time increases to between three and five years while the fine is between Rwf2 million and Rwf5 million.
