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Where former poachers protect wildlife

Barora Leonidas is a former feared poacher turned wildlife protector and ‘chief’ entertainer at Iby’wacu Cultural Village in Kinigi, Rwanda. [PHOTOS: PETER MUIRURI/STANDARD]

Mount Sabyinyo looms large over much of Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda. The cool breeze from the teeth-shaped massif provides a welcome relief from the hot equatorial sun beating down on us as we tour Iby’wacu Cultural Village near the park’s main entrance.

As we try to rest our tired souls, a sharp shriek pierces through the compound, reverberating through the nearby woods. From a thatched hut emerges an aging but vigorous man with the agility of a gazelle.

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