Rwandan vet and conservationist Olivier Nsengimana has been named on TIME magazine’s TIME100 Next 2026 list of the world’s most influential rising stars.
A decade ago, the grey crowned crane, a symbol of Rwanda’s natural heritage, was on the brink of disappearing: only around 300 were thought to remain in the wild, threatened by habitat loss and the illegal pet trade. In 2015 Nsengimana founded the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association to protect the birds and restore their wetlands.
Today Rwanda’s wild crane population stands at 1,438 and the illegal trade has been curbed. Working with communities and creating livelihoods has been key. Backed by the £100,000 2025 Whitley Gold Award, the project is now expanding to Uganda and Tanzania.
