Giraffa camelopardalis ssp. peralta, Niger Giraffe
The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Far more than a list of species and their status, it is a powerful tool to inform and catalyse action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to protecting the natural resources we need to survive. It provides information about […]
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 […]
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 […]
Charting a course for giraffe conservation
Letter reporting on the July 2011 indaba at Etosha Safari Lodge, Namibia Giraffe: The Forgotten Megafauna convened by GCF.
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, […]
The feeding behaviour of giraffe in Niger
The remaining West African giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) are found in Niger (62 individuals in January 1998). Their feeding behaviour was studied by direct observation during two periods of 6 and 12 mo. The giraffe’s diet is diverse: at least 45 plant species were eaten, depending on spatial arrangement and a given plant’s stage of growth. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Conservation of large mammals in the Republic of Mali
Populations of large wild mammals exist in one national park and several reserves and protected forest areas in Mali. In addition some wildlife survives in areas, in the south where onchocerciasis and trypanosomiasis, and in the north lack of available water, prevent human settlement. The area of present-day Mali has been populated by a succession […]