The Giraffe Action Fund (GAF) is an exciting initiative of GCF to increase giraffe field conservation and management actions for giraffe throughout Africa.

It aims to put a stronger emphasis on giraffe conservation actions in the wild – big and small.

Giraffe numbers have declined by almost 30% in just over three decades to approximately 117,000 in the wild. It is likely that giraffe numbered ten times as many only a century ago. The GAF aims to secure and increase current giraffe numbers and their distribution throughout their range in Africa. This goal is achievable, especially in cooperation with other key conservation efforts where giraffe occupy the same landscapes as other focus species.

GAF identifies and supports the most innovative field conservation actions and campaigns that directly protect and promote conservation of these iconic species:

  • Action efforts to increase giraffe numbers, distribution and habitat.
  • Action anti-poaching of giraffe across the continent.
  • Action conservation education and awareness to save giraffe and to minimise their biggest threats.

Each of these actions encourages new levels of collaboration, partnerships and networking among and between governments, local and international organisations, conservationists and donors alike. They can extend across different land management types that are suitable for giraffe conservation: protected areas, forestry lands, community lands and private lands.

Investments by the Giraffe Action Fund include efforts to increase giraffe range, reduce human-giraffe conflict, enhance law enforcement, develop national/regional strategies and actions, campaigns to increase education or raise awareness, and strategies to secure habitat giraffe need to roam freely.

If you have a great concept that will actively help save giraffe in the wild, please get in touch.

The Giraffe Action Fund supports projects that:

  • Are effective and yield direct and significant conservation benefits for giraffe.
  • Are catalytic by initiating management presence and conservation action in parts of giraffe range where such presence is not currently available, or by allowing for a notable scaling-up of approaches known to be effective.
  • Leverage funding by unlocking new/alternative funding sources for conservation projects.
  • Are sustainable and can be maintained in the absence of recurrent GAF support.

The Giraffe Action Fund does not only support traditional giraffe projects but those engaging a wide-range of conservation actors, including protected area management and community-based conservation.

GCF currently supports giraffe conservation in 19 African countries. Click on the map below to see what kind of support we provide!