Rwanda is deploying cutting-edge technology to better detect endangered species such as the mountain gorilla. Environmental DNA, or eDNA, now makes it possible to identify wildlife from simple traces left in water and soil, radically transforming conservation methods.
“Ecological monitoring is a key element of habitat conservation,” explains Patrick Nsabimana, who is leading the implementation of this technology in the country and coordinating its integration into national biodiversity monitoring systems. According to him, eDNA represents a major innovation, destined to complement traditional monitoring methods.
These traditional methods rely in particular on camera traps and field observations carried out by eco-guards, but they show their limitations in the rugged and sometimes unstable terrain of the Virunga mountains.
In these areas where the last mountain gorillas live — classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature — scientists are seeking to improve the accuracy and coverage of wildlife inventories.
“With a single kit, we can analyze several species at once, such as amphibians, mammals, or birds,” emphasizes Deogratias Tuyisingize, a biodiversity specialist involved in the project. He explains that this approach makes it possible to detect species that are difficult, or even impossible, to observe with traditional techniques.
The process relies on analyzing genetic signatures specific to each species. "Each animal species possesses a very precise genetic signature," explains James Munyawera, who is in charge of laboratory analyses. These DNA fragments, collected in the field, are then amplified and compared to reference databases for identification.
The program was introduced in Rwanda with the support of the African Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with national authorities. It aims to establish a comprehensive map of the species present in the country and to strengthen the management of protected areas, particularly in the face of poaching and habitat fragmentation.
However, the researchers point out several important limitations: eDNA does not allow for precise estimation of populations, can persist in the environment after the passage of animals, and still largely depends on foreign laboratories for certain analyses.
Added to this is a major structural constraint: the inadequacy of reference genetic databases in Africa, which complicates the identification of species from the collected sequences.
Despite these obstacles, the teams involved are continuing to develop regional reference frameworks and are focusing on building local expertise. The project also involves local communities and park rangers, trained in field sampling, in a collaborative ecosystem monitoring approach.
An approach that could, in time, redefine the standards of biodiversity conservation in the Great Lakes region.
