Perspectives on Giraffe Conservation in East Africa

Résumé fourni par la source

In the past decade, giraffe (Giraffa spp.) conservation has received increased attention in part due to updated IUCN Red List assessments that highlighted the urgency of the plight of giraffe. The most recent assessments showed that giraffe populations in East Africa, encompassing three of the four extant species, had undergone precipitous declines in the preceding 35 years, with anthropogenic activities identified as the leading cause. As such, urgent conservation efforts were required to address the threats that Masai (Giraffa tippelskirchi ), Nubian (G. c. camelopardalis), and reticulated (G. reticulata) giraffe face in the East African region. Driven by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) all East African countries have drafted, launched and initiated the implementation of their first-ever national giraffe conservation strategies with the involvement and participation of diverse stakeholders ranging from NGOs, academia, governments, and communities. These important conservation tools have proven invaluable in the fight against the giraffe's silent extinction. We demonstrate that multidisciplinary conservation research, collaborative partnerships, capacity building, and knowledge exchange have led to better understanding of the ecology and improved conservation outcomes. This is particularly important as giraffe populations and the threats they face have not traditionally received conservation attention compared to other charismatic megafauna. We present the opportunities and challenges in giraffe conservation in a region where a large portion of the wild population occur in human-dominated landscapes. Our conservation research showcases the importance of involving all stakeholders in securing a future for giraffe in Africa.

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