Saving the Last West African Giraffe, Niger

Fundraising target: £2,100 +

Funds donated: £6,500

Project: GPS satellite unit and its fitting and ranger monitoring for West African Giraffe in Niger.  This is one of 21 projects nominated for our 21 For 21 programme.

21 For 21 Project Partner: Giraffe Conservation Foundation

GCF is an international science-based conservation organisation that provides innovative approaches to save giraffe in the wild.

Find out more about Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Set up a 21 For 21 Fundraising Page.

About Giraffe Conservation Foundation

GCF is dedicated to a sustainable future for all giraffe populations in the wild. They are:

• An international science-based conservation organisation that provides innovative approaches to save giraffe in the wild.
• The go-to organisation for giraffe conservation that is proactive and reactive, with a strong collaborative and dynamic team working within a network of partners on all levels.
• The leader in supporting a sustainable future for giraffe in/and their natural habitats.

GCF will continue to organically grow and increase awareness to save giraffe in the wild.

This is the second giraffe conservation project we have supported. In 2019 we donated $13,400 USD to translocate critically endangered Nubian Giraffe from Murchison Falls to Pian Upe in Uganda. The translocation took place in November 2019.

To find out more about the Nubian Giraffe project please click here.

West African Giraffe

At the beginning of the 20^th century the West African giraffe were widely distributed, from Nigeria to Senegal, but by the mid-1990s only 49 individuals remained in the whole of West Africa.

These few survivors are now formally protected by the Niger government, and their numbers have risen to more than 600 individuals and their status downgraded from Endangered to Vulnerable based on increased numbers.

However, their future is still of great concern as they predominantly live in an isolated pocket (the Giraffe Zone) east of the capital Niamey, and share their living space with local villagers. No other large wild mammals occur in this area, and habitat loss and destruction is increasing.

In 2018, eight West African giraffe were moved to the Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve to establish a new satellite giraffe population and thus assist the population’s growth in number and range.

Since the translocation, GCF has provided valuable support to the local wildlife authorities and supported  development of a community game guard system to help monitor the giraffe throughout the area. Based on the ongoing monitoring GCF will assess when best to next undertake future translocations to Gadabedji and other potential areas in the region.

21 For 21 Funding will provide for a GPS satellite unit and its fitting and ranger monitoring for a translocated West African giraffe.

Love giraffe? There is nothing better than seeing them roaming the plains of Africa. To go on safari with our responsible travel network please click here.

^{Images courtesy of GCF}