Fourteen giraffes find new home in Angola

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Fourteen giraffes have been moved from a private game reserve in Namibia to Iona National Park in Angola. According to a statement by African Parks, this is the first of multiple giraffe translocations to ensure that the animals return to their place of origin. The giraffes were originally from Angola but were living in Namibia.

Executive director and co-founder of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation Stephanie Fennessy said reintroducing the giraffe to their historical range would help them live longer and would restore ecological balance to the area. Organisms need each other to thrive in the wild, so the absence of one can cause others to suffer.   

This translocation will help bring balance to the ecosystem of Iona National Park because giraffes are great landscape shapers. They browse where other animals cannot reach, allowing them and other animals to move around the wild with little hassle. They are also pollinators — they get pollen on their faces when they feed and pass it on to other trees and shrubs. 

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, by the late 1990s, giraffes were assumed to be extinct in Angola as a result of poaching and habitat loss, exacerbated by the prolonged conflict in the country. 

“The reintroduction of giraffes to Iona National Park is a remarkable milestone in Angola’s conservation journey. This significant endeavour demonstrates our commitment to preserving our country’s natural heritage. 

“Together, we are building a future where both people and wildlife thrive,” said Abias Huongo, of the Angolan environment ministry. 

Not the first time

This translocation is not the first of its kind. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation has been moving giraffes from one area to another for some time in an effort to boost small existing giraffe populations.

In 2021, South African giraffes made the trip from South Africa to Malawi, where they joined the 13 giraffes that had been successfully introduced to Majete Wildlife Reserve in 2018. 

The Longest Wild Giraffe Translocation Ever undertaken by road. Majete WR, Malawi – October 2021

In June 2020, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation moved 30 Angolan giraffes to Mangetti National Park, and two communal conservancies (areas run by the community to ensure the sustainable use of wildlife and tourism), across northern Namibia to bolster the existing populations.

To help the giraffe to thrive after these translocations there is Namibia’s Community Based Natural Resource Management Programme. This is used to teach communities about conservation and how humans can share spaces with wildlife, says the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. 

Moving giraffes from one area to another can be a dangerous operation, as with any large animals, but before undertaking this translocation, the foundation did a thorough feasibility study. Giraffes are the world’s tallest land animals, with adult males growing to around 5.5m, so moving them can be dangerous. They are not known to be aggressive but when threatened they can injure handlers with just a kick.

Community interaction

Two of the factors they considered were whether the habitat the giraffes were being moved to would be conducive to them and whether the local community would assist in conserving this species. 

“Based on the positive results and the commitment of all stakeholders, the translocation was recommended and put into action. In addition, African Parks conducted a survey amongst the communities in and around the periphery of Iona National Park to evaluate local community perceptions of the proposed translocation of giraffe.”

The majority of the people in the community were happy with the prospect of having giraffes in the park, as they would attract tourists, ultimately creating job opportunities.  

The translocation was achieved through a collaboration between Iona National Park, the environment ministry, the Angolan government, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and African Parks. It was sponsored by the Wyss Foundation, a statement by African Parks said.  

Pedro Monterroso, park manager at Iona National Park, said the reintroduction of giraffes marks a critical moment in the park’s history. 

“These graceful animals will contribute to the restoration of the park’s biodiversity and serve as a symbol of Angola’s commitment to conservation. We are grateful for the partnership with the government of Angola and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, and the support from the Wyss Foundation in making this translocation possible,” he said. 

Lesego Chepape is a climate reporting fellow, funded by the Open Society Foundation for South Africa