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Established in 2013 in partnership with Ninety One and in conjunction with H.R.H The Prince of Wales, the awards recognise cutting-edge conservation leaders and their positive impacts on wildlife conservation and local communities across Africa. For over a decade, The Tusk Conservation Awards have served as a springboard for these guardians of biodiversity, who have risen to the top of their fields, scaling their work and amplifying conservation impact across the continent.
This year, Claver Ntoyinkima, an esteemed park ranger at Nyungwe National Park, receives the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award for his outstanding contributions to primate and bird conservation. The award gives international recognition to the dedication and commitment of an individual who works in the field to protect Africa’s wildlife. Serving as a vital link between the park and the broader conservation community, Ntoyinkima has earned respect and admiration from his colleagues and the broader community, and is incredibly kind and infectiously enthusiastic about his knowledge of the forest, becoming a beloved ambassador for Rwanda’s natural heritage.
BACKGROUND
Born and raised in Banda, a village that lies on the periphery of the Nyungwe National Park, Claver grew up with a love of the rainforest. As a young boy, he would often play in the forest, observing wildlife and challenging himself to find elusive bird species whose songs were ubiquitous but sightings rare, cultivating a phenomenal knowledge of birds. It is here where the seeds for his passion for the natural world grew.
Ntoyinkima was initially hired by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) as a tourist receptionist due to his invaluable fluency in English, French and Kinyarwanda. His passion, however, was the forest, and he trained and studied to transition to his current position as a park ranger and tourist guide. He worked on the anti-poaching team, patrolling the park, removing snares, noting and reporting human activity, whilst maintaining a general physical presence to deter illegal human activity.
WORK & ACHIEVEMENTS
He has become a bridge between the park and the larger conservation community, working with several graduate students to assist in their research objectives – notably on bird and primate conservation. His knowledge of birds extends beyond Nyungwe and is so exceptional that he has been seconded to assist research in other parts of the country including Gishwati, where he assisted in a census of an Important Bird Area leading to a co-authored publication. He has also been requested for his expertise in Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park, Bugesera wetlands and Lake Kivu.
Beyond having extensive knowledge of the rainforest and its birds, Ntoyinkima has played a pivotal role in habituating primate populations (including massive super troops of black and white colobus and the Mayebe chimpanzee group) that are the key tourist generating activities in the park. In turn, a percentage of the income derived from primate tourism has been returned to the communities on the park’s periphery, including Ntoyinkima’s home village of Banda.
In addition to his expected duties as a ranger, Ntoyinkima serves as a mentor to his peers through his willingness to share his knowledge, learn from others and assist new staff integration. His commitment to conservation extends to the next generation: in 2009, he founded the Nyungwe Kids Birding Club and has since established youth conservation groups in several local schools, including Kamatsira, Banda, and Gasanane. These clubs introduce young people to birding, nature interpretation, and conservation practices, nurturing a new generation’s appreciation for the natural world.
Ntoyinkima embodies an extraordinary blend of kindness, humility, and unyielding dedication to conservation. His profound respect for the forest, commitment to community, and remarkable pursuit of knowledge make him a true steward of Nyungwe’s ecological heritage and an inspiring figure in global conservation.
