Giraffe Sanctuary

Category: conservation issues | Date: Jul 25 2008 | By: giraffesanctuary

Dear readers, I would like to take  this opportunity to thanks all our donors and supporters for this initiative.  This picture above is me for those we have not met and in this particular post I would like to share quick background of the sanctuary. The  Garissa Community Giraffe sanctuary (GCGS) falls within an immediate sub urban environment of Garissa Town. The local community consists of the Bur algi community of a predominately pastoral Somali clan and the Malakoti who are hunter gatherers settled along the Tana River. Over the years the settlements have expanded into more permanent settlements while the local Malakotis along the river have opted to selling their traditional lands to Somali farmers involved in irrigation agriculture.

 The key human settlements (i.e. nomadic, semi – permanent and permanent) include; Annam, Qabobey, Bula wanawake, Jarirot, Hanjoley, Bur Algi, Bula Sheikahmed among others .The livelihood activities for these communities include hunting, charcoal burning, livestock rearing & trade, Quarrying/ Sand harvesting, fuel wood sales , building poles harvesting, Poaching among others.

Wildlife & Habitat diversity

The area is a brachystalgia acacia woodland with scattered bushes/thickets. There is a key habitat for the Reticulated Giraffe (estimated at 144, adults-107 and 37 young). Other Wildlife species include; Gerenuk, Lesser Kudu, Cheetah, Hippotamus, Guinea fowls & other birds, Grevys Zebra, Common Zebra, Warthog  (declining population due poaching), Ostrich Somali race, Hyeana, Lions among others. Details of this information is available in this link. http://www.terranuova.org/articoli/transboundary-environmental-project or  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bour-Algi_Giraffe_Sanctuary

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Current situation

Currently in this unique wildlife habitat yet a potential ecotourism hotspot,  has not yet gotten the necessary attention to conserve the existing wildlife and habitat diversity from both the government and other organisations. There is no development plan in place to direct settlement and safe guard the existing ecological diversity. The  sanctuary area is a trust land held in trust for the local community by the Garissa County Council (GCC) as provided by Cap 208 of the laws of Kenya.

Several efforts have been made before by the Terra Nuova, an Italian NGO for cooperation and development  in collaboration with local CBOs and other partners, in environmental education campaigns and active ecological data gathering & monitoring to create awareness among stakeholders and local community on the threats to existing rich wildlife and habitat diversity. However, the fact that the conservation area is not actively protected there is evidence of severs habitat encroachment and Poaching in the area. Most evident are; Charcoal burning targeting the acacia trees, over grazing, blockage of access routes for wildlife and livestock to watering points ‘Malkas’ by farming community, increasing human settlement in the area and  wood and fuel wood harvesting. Also key catchments areas are under threat from uncontrolled grazing and human settlement. The area is dissected by the main road from Garissa to ijara but lacks developed tourism support infrastructure neither does it fall within an established tourism circuit. Albeit, the area is occasionally frequented by the curious tourists, no levys are charged neither do local communities benefit from such visits. It is on this basis that i would like to appeal to agencies to come and help in securing place for the giraffes in the midst of pastoral communities.

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