Friend of the Earth®, a project of globally leading sustainability organization, World Sustainability Organization has joined forces with the Somali Giraffe Project to conserve the Reticulated Giraffe in Kenya.
Founded in 2016 by sustainability expert Paolo Bray, who has been engaged in the protection of endangered species for over 30 years; Friend of the Earth® holds the key objective of conserving ecosystems. The international certification scheme promotes sustainable agriculture, by certifying products developed through environmentally-friendly farming practices.
Additionally, the World Sustainability Organization has initiated numerous conservation campaigns for endangered species. The Somali Giraffe Project was founded by indigenous Kenyan Conservationist, Dr. Abdullahi Ali, with the aim of serving as a transboundary community-based project, for the conservation and recovery of the giraffe population in Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera counties in eastern Kenya, and the neighboring areas of the Somali border.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), reticulated giraffes in Africa are classified as Vulnerable (VU); recording a 50% population decline over the last three decades. Most of the threats facing these gentle giants are human induced.
To combat the leading human threat which is poaching, the conservation project has recruited and trained community anti-poaching scouts, drawn from the local communities to provide security for giraffes in protected areas, as well as community areas where a majority of giraffes are found.
Some members of the scout team are reformed rangers, who not only protect giraffes but also support poachers to reform. The scouts are responsible for conducting de-snaring patrols to collect, confiscate and destroy snares that are commonly used by poachers to trap giraffes.
Furthermore, scouts report on snared giraffes during patrols and are able to save them, in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service Mobile Vet unit.
Human population growth and changes in land use contribute to the loss and fragmentation of giraffe habitat in the region. Giraffe water points along the River Tana which is the main source of water in the region, have been converted to farms; resulting in human-giraffe conflicts as the animals are made to force their way through the farms.
To protect the reticulated giraffe, Dr. Abdullahi Ali and his team conduct educational programs, community outreach initiatives, school visits and research activities by collecting giraffe re-sight data through photographs.
To understand the reticulated giraffe resource selection, social interaction, and habitat use, the team has further deployed GPS tags on 30 adult giraffes across Northeastern Kenya. This facilitates the determination of giraffe needs and responses to land-use changes.
The World Sustainability Organization is committed to working with local community-based conservation projects globally; such as the Somali Giraffe Project, to conserve endangered species.
Initiated by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, June 21st marks World Giraffe Day, as a means of celebrating and prioritising the conservation of wild giraffes. Join us at Friend of the Earth® through our collaboration with the Somali Giraffe Project, as we save the reticulated giraffe from extinction.
Happy World Giraffe Day!
