The last African white giraffes live in farmers’ fields
The giraffe population (Giraffa camelopardalis) in Niger is the last representative of the peralta sub-species which lived throughout West Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century. Protected since the 1970s, giraffes cohabit with humans in cultivated landscapes. This may not have appeared to pose many problems in the past, but the relationship between farmers […]
Giraffe south of the Niger-Benue river system
Although giraffes have been seen occasionally south of the Niger river, there is no evidence that permanent populations occur in this area) and presumably the giraffes either die or return to the northern side. The southern habitats may be unsuitable for two reasons. First, human harassment and habitat modification may prevent the establishment of viable […]
The Mammals of Nigeria
Distribution: scattered localities in northern Guinea, Sudan, and Sahel savanna zones; not recorded south of the Niger-Benue rivers in Nigeria (Happold 1969, 1978b) (Map 98). Localities: Benue-Pai river region (Lewis 1955); Chingurme-Duguma GR, Kambari GR (Hall 197 6); Falgoro GR (Henshaw and Child 1972); Lame GR (Hall 1976); Sambisa GR (Hall 1976). Old localities not […]
Complementary management of wildlife and livestock in West Africa – Utopia or development perspective?
Income from game viewing and trophy hunting is increasing in eastern and southern areas, game populations are increasing in some countries and programmes like CAMPFIRE have shown the potentials for local communities to benefit from these trends and National Parks. In West Africa, by contrast, there has been a sharp decline in wildlife populations and […]
Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) of Niger
Thirty years ago giraffes were found all over the Sudano-Sahelian area, from Mauritania to Chad. Over the last 20 years, due to loss of habitat and poaching, giraffe populations have decreased. In Niger large herds were present in the Tanout area, between Agadez and Zinder, but they disappeared because of recurring drought. During the eighties, […]
Female tannin avoidance: a possible explanation for habitat and dietary segregation of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) in Niger
Niger is host to the last free‐roaming herd of G.c. peralta (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta). We examined the foraging preferences of these giraffe in their dry‐season habitats, with the goal of preserving the herd in the regions that they currently inhabit. The current dry‐season habitat comprises two distinct vegetation zones. In both of these zones the […]
Overview of the ecology of the Niger giraffe
The giraffe of Niger are the last in all West Africa. It is threatened. They are both genetically and ecologically distinct from other giraffe and are therefore an important biodiversity remnant. Although baseline research has been limited, it does provide snapshots of what has happened to the population’s numbers and distribution over the past decade. […]
Higher than expected growth rate of the Endangered West African giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis peralta: a successful human–wildlife cohabitation
The West African giraffe is a genetically unique population represented only by the subspecies Giraffa camelopardalis peralta, categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. These giraffes live outside protected areas, without natural predators and share their habitat with local people and their livestock. This study provides demographic data on this poorly studied megaherbivore and […]
Impacts de l’occupation des sols sur l’habitat la girafe au Niger et enjeux pour la sauvegarde du dernier troupeau de girafes de l’Afrique de l’Ouest
The giraffes of Niger (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) live freely in an environment highly colonized by man called, the zone of transition of the Reserve of Biosphere of the W Regional Park of Niger. The agricultural practices in synergy with the high demographic pressure and the recurring droughts infer an accelerated degradation of the natural forest […]
Looking Up
An overview of giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis peralta, in Niger’s unprotected regions.