Crested Crane, Sitatunga face extinction at Masaka Nabajjuzi Ramsar wetland

________________

The Grey Crowned Crane and elusive Sitatunga antelope are on the brink of extinction at the Nabajjuzi Ramsar Wetland site, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has said.

This development is a result of the wetland system being under threat due to encroachment, yet it is the crested crane's breeding ground. The wetland is also a habitat for the sitatunga, which is under threat.

The wetland according to Ramsar.org is important regionally and globally for biodiversity conservation. Key species such as Sitatunga, Grey Crowned Crane, Shoebill, papyrus endemic species such as Papyrus Gonolek and Papyrus Yellow Warbler are known from this site and hence the site is important in maintaining the biological diversity of the above-mentioned species.

As a result, the wildlife watchdog, in conjunction with the International Crane Foundation (ICF), and conservation partners, has launched targeted operations to apprehend hunters responsible for depleting these species at the ecologically vital wetland complex, according to Vanice Mirembe, the UWA’s Ass. Commissioner Conservation Education and Awareness

Speaking at the World Crested Cranes Day festival at the Masaka Liberation Square on February 24, 2026, Mirembe warned poachers and illegal traders.

“We shall get the culprits killing our Crested crane birds and other rare species like the Sitatunga at Nabajjuzi wetlands; they will serve as a lesson. They will be subjected to a fine of shillings 20 billion or life imprisonment or both,” Mirembe said.

She revealed that authorities have already arrested several traders dealing in Crested Cranes.

“Some of those traders dealing in Crested Cranes have been arrested and they have been paying.”

Mirembe also warned the public against owning crested cranes in their premises without seeking proper licensing.

The threat to the crested crane and the Sitatunga has crippled local eco-tourism, with New Vision Online confirming that the Tourism Observatory at Nabajjuzi, which was once a hub for viewing Sitatungas and rare birds, has permanently closed due to the species’ disappearance.

Compounding the threat, a Nature Uganda report identifies pollution from adjacent leather tanneries as a critical localised danger, accusing factories of “pouring effluent discharging them into the wetland, which affects the water treatment costs and biodiversity.”

This degradation forced the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to abandon its Nabajjuzi water plant, serving over 20,000 Masaka residents and construct a new facility at Kaziru landing site, drawing water directly from the Lake Victoria. 

Despite these pressures, Nabajjuzi Ramsar Site, which is about 120km southwest of Kampala, “remains relatively intact despite the long history related to resource extraction by local communities,” according to Nature Uganda’s assessment.

Conservation efforts are gaining momentum through partnerships. For instance, Nature Uganda and the Uganda Wetland Management Department now train youth and community groups in eco-tourism services, while Masaka City Council mayor Florence Namayanja spearheads school-based programmes for sustainable wetland conservation.

The tourism ministry has further allocated shillings 1.9 billion to local governments for recruiting district tourism officers, according to permanent secretary Doreen Katusiime. 

The crested crane will face extinction in the long run if nothing is done and immediate counteraction is necessary to fight wetland abuse to save the situation, according to Buganda Kingdom’s representative, Pokino of Buddu Jude Muleke.

The function saw tree planting, cleaning of the city, sports and games, including health camps and stakeholders’ exhibitions in the Masaka region.

About the wetland

Nabajjuzi Wetland System, which stretches across the districts of Masaka, Sembabule, Mpigi, is an important bird area. It is a long narrow stretch of swamp from the periphery of Masaka to the major Katonga River system. It provides a spawning ground for mudfish and lungfish and supports globally threatened bird species and the endangered Sitatunga.

According to the ramsar.org, the site lies in the traditional Buddu county of Buganda Kingdom, and some of the flora and fauna are closely associated with cultural norms and traditions, especially the totems.

There is thus considerable cultural attachment of the surrounding areas to the wetland, which also plays an important role in stabilising the banks of River Nabajjuzi, groundwater recharge, flood control and as a natural filter for silt and sediments in the runoff.