African Giraffes – an element of conservation concern.

Africa’s rich diversity has continued to dwindle in the recent decades due to cocktail of factors. Even the once widely spread species are now entering the long list of conservation concerns. One of these species is the African giraffes. Although to many, these colorful animals seem not to be in any need of focused conservation, statistics and conservation research has shown that giraffes are facing increasing pressures that have adversely affected their numbers and distribution in Kenya and entire Africa.
There are currently a total of nine sub-species of giraffes naturally occurring in Africa with Kenya being the only country in Africa to have three of this sub-species. Other countries have either one or two sub-species making Kenya a preferred epicenter for giraffe speciation.
Over the past decade, giraffe numbers in Africa have suffered at least a 30 per cent drop in population as a direct result of habitat encroachment, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, severe poaching, increasing human populations and human-wildlife conflicts and now, the effects of climate change.

Taking examples from least endangered, The Masai giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis tippelskirchi) widely occurs in southern Kenya namely; the Tsavo’s, Amboseli and the Masai Mara ecosystems and also throughout Tanzania. The Masai giraffes have relatively stable populations compared to the other sub-species in Kenya, although, reports that their numbers have also suffered in recent years have been highlighted. Currently, their surveys and recent estimates are being compiled and hopefully some more positive news will prevail.

Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis reticulata) the most beautiful of all the giraffe sub-species are widely found in northern Kenya and in Somalia. Their data and compilations on statistics and range are considered limited and incomplete, with as few as 3,000 – 5,000 individuals remaining in the wild.  This estimate represents a small fraction of the 28,000 reported to have existed only a decade ago. This is a clear suggestion that the sub-species have recently suffered a major and rapid decline giving rise to concern about its long-term persistence.

Rothschild’s giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis rothschildi) is rated second most endangered giraffe sub-species in Africa with less than 670 individuals remaining in the wild. Once wide-ranging across western Kenya, Uganda, and southern Sudan, it has now been almost totally eliminated from most of its former range and now only survives in a few small, isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda. These remaining populations are isolated from one another and are not interbreeding.
Kenya is home to about 60 per cent of the global population of wild Rothschild’s giraffe with Ruma National Park in Nyanza Province having the single largest meta-population (130 individuals) in the country. Lake Nakuru National Park has 65 individuals, Soysambu Conservancy 63, Kigio Wildlife Conservancy 32, and Giraffe Manor-Karen, Mount Elgon National Park, Murgor Farm in Iten, Mwea National Reserve, Sergoit-Kruger Farm in Iten, Kitale Area Farm and Nasalot Game Reserve, all with populations of less 20 individuals.

There is therefore a great urgency in stipulating conservation strategies to cap further dwindling of these wonderful African creatures.

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                                                                   Let’s Conserve Them!