In the early 1900s, West African giraffe (G. c. peralta) roamed freely from Nigeria to Senegal, but by the mid-1990s, their numbers had dwindled to only 49 individuals in the wild.
Fortunately, those remaining giraffe received formal protection from the Niger government, gradually leading to a significant increase in their population, currently estimated at exceeding 600 individuals. However, concerns remain as the West African giraffe primarily reside in an isolated area known as the ‘Giraffe Zone’, east of the capital city Niamey, and share their home with local villagers.
Giraffe are the only large, wild mammals in the ‘Giraffe Zone’, but increasing habitat loss and destruction, infrastructure development and the precarious security situation pose challenges to their long-term survival. To address this, between 2018-2022 twelve West African giraffe were relocated (Operation Sahel Giraffe) to the Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve to establish the first-ever satellite population, thus expanding their range and boosting their numbers in the long term. This epic operation moved these giraffe over 800 km under heavy military protection.
These successful translocations were led by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation in support of the Niger government and working locally with Sahara Conservation and Wild Africa Conservation. Following the translocations, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation continues to provide crucial support to local community game guards and wildlife authorities to monitor the giraffe long-term.
The Niger government has played a crucial role in safeguarding the future of the West African giraffe with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation’s support spanning almost two decades. Notably, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation supported the development of the first-ever Niger National Giraffe Conservation Strategy, the first of its kind in Africa. Our ongoing efforts have ranged from providing field conservation support to training, from tagging to translocation, and community conservation to developing national strategies.
Recognition of the West African giraffe’s critical conservation status had resulted in their listing as Endangered and of High Conservation Importance on the IUCN Red List in 2008. However, their positive population growth and successful conservation efforts led to a downlisting to Vulnerable in 2018.
Together with Sahara Conservation, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation established a dedicated team in the country to enhance giraffe conservation efforts in Niger. An array of financial and technical support has been provided to the government and the Association for the Valorisation of Ecotourism in Niger (AVEN), a local ecotourism guide organization, who promote giraffe tourism, supports monitoring, raises awareness and education in the ‘Giraffe Zone’, and seeks to reduce human-giraffe conflict. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation’s support to AVEN included providing equipment, office renovations, environmental education, annual giraffe surveys, translocation assessments, and local capacity building.
However, as the political situation in Niger has become increasingly difficult, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation continues to assess the situation and our level of involvement. Continued giraffe monitoring is key and the Niger government and local partners need to take the lead on these activities with some support from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and our partners.
