The East African region is crucial to the survival of giraffe in Africa.
Three of the four extant species of giraffe occur in the region: Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi), Nubian giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis) and Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata).
While giraffe populations in some other African regions are stable or even increasing, giraffe numbers are decreasing across East and Central Africa. In the last 30 years, both Masai and Reticulated giraffe populations have declined by over 50%. Most recently, the Reticulated giraffe was added to the IUCN Red List as Endangered, while Masai giraffe are still being assessed but likely to face a similar fate in 2019. The Nubian giraffe, which includes the former Rothschild’s giraffe and occurs in Uganda, western and central Kenya, south-western Ethiopia, and South Sudan, is now listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Human activities, in particular habitat loss, fragmentation and poaching represent the most severe threats to the survival of giraffe in East Africa.
With this in mind, GCF has developed a focused programme for giraffe conservation in East Africa with a dedicated team based in Nairobi, Kenya. Additional support is provided from other GCF staff in Africa. GCF continues to work with local and international partners to collate new data, fill gaps and most importantly, to advance giraffe conservation initiatives in the region.