National Recovery and Action Plan for Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) in Kenya (2018-2022)

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)

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Abstract: There are three currently recognized subspecies of giraffe found in Kenya: the Maasai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi),Rothschildâ??s giraffe (G. c. rothschildi) and reticulated giraffe (G. c. reticulata). This first-ever National Recovery and Action Plan for this species aims at focusing attention on individual subspecies of giraffe. Previously,much of the species-level focus in Kenya was on black rhino (Diceros bicornis) and African elephant (Loxodonta africana),neglecting other key species of concern. To bridge this gap,the Kenya Wildlife Service created the Department of Species Conservation and Management which aims at giving the necessary attention to all threatened species within the country. One of the driving factors of Kenyaâ??s Vision 2030 is tourism and given that wildlife is a key component in the tourism industry in Kenya,all wildlife must be accorded a high priority and be conserved to the very best of our abilities. Giraffe have so far been overlooked in comparison to other large mammals in terms of conservation efforts. Yet,they are a symbol of African wildlife,a popular animal to be seen in Kenya and do in fact represent a crucial calling card for tourists and the tourism industry as a whole. Therefore,knowledge gained from the 2010 National Giraffe Stakeholders workshop and this National Recovery and Action Plan will be used to drum up support from political leaders and communities alike to support this critical conservation initiative. The 2010 National Giraffe Stakeholders workshop in Nairobi and the 2018 stakeholder Review Workshop in Naivasha 2018 furthered our knowledge of baseline information on giraffe population estimates,distribution and threats in Kenya. This baseline information helps to determine how to plan for their future,and where to counter threats and conservation challenges facing the three giraffe subspecies in Kenya. With a 67% giraffe population decrease since the 1970â??s,addressing this decline in Kenya is of high priority. This National Recovery and Action Plan also aims to address the issue of working with local communities for them to appreciate and identify how best they can benefit from giraffe conservation efforts. Thus,there is a need to initiate projects both at community and government levels that have a direct link to giraffe conservation. This National Recovery and Action Plan for Giraffe in Kenya has also come up with a clear implementation structure to facilitate information flow. This will be critical in addressing all the threats leading to population decline as the stakeholderâ??s roles are clearly assigned and measurable.