The Twiga Tracker initiative, the most extensive GPS satellite tracking study ever conducted on giraffe, aims to enhance conservation efforts by better understanding their movements, spatial requirements, and habitat utilization across diverse African environments.
The ambitious continental scale initiative encompasses various habitats, from hyper-arid deserts to mesic savannahs, engaging partners worldwide to study giraffe movements throughout their range. This initiative enables the Giraffe Conservation Foundation to develop innovative conservation strategies for protecting giraffe and their habitats.
Utilizing cutting-edge technology and advanced scientific analyses, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation spearheads this groundbreaking study that has seen over 650 tracking units deployed on all four species in 17 African countries.
The extensive scope necessitates collaborative approaches with leading conservation researchers and practitioners. The foundation works with GPS tracking technology manufacturers to design units optimized for different giraffe species. The current devices are compact with solar panels for recharging and can transmit recorded locations to any internet-linked device.
To analyze the collected data, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation collaborates with research institutions like the Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute and numerous universities, applying rigorous scientific studies and geospatial analyses in conjunction with satellite imagery. This helps investigate how giraffe interact with their environments across space and time and identify valuable resources for them.
The real-time visualization of giraffe movement data through specialized computer applications aids conservation managers and rangers in tracking giraffe easily as part of post-translocation monitoring programs. These data are critical for monitoring efforts and are shared with wildlife authorities.
Animal welfare is paramount throughout the tracking process. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation works with leading wildlife veterinarians in Africa to ensure all procedures adhere to best practice guidelines. The method of fitting GPS units has been approved by independent Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees and we continue to work with various manufacturers of tracking devices to improve their design and minimize impact on animals. .
The Twiga Tracker initiative has already generated important scientific findings, including insights into home range behavior, spatial ecology, and migration patterns of giraffe, which were published in more than 20 peer-reviewed publications. All findings contribute to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation’s efforts to develop effective conservation strategies for giraffe and their habitats.
