Africa Wild

Doggie best friend stayed by baby giraffe’s side in his last moments

2019-12-06 10:53

A few weeks ago the internet's hearts melted when they met Jazz - a baby giraffe abandoned by his mother - and Hunter - the guard dog who became very attached to the foundling, rarely leaving his side.



Unfortunately, The Rhino Orphanage who had been taking care of Jazz announced on Friday that Jazz had passed away due to either a genetic defect or under-developed valve system. This meant that he couldn't regulate blood pressure to his brain, which led to bleeding between his ventricles.

"The last two days before we lost him, Jazz started looking unstable on his legs and very dull, almost like he wasn't registering everything," writes the orphanage on a Facebook post.

"He suddenly collapsed and we could see blood starting to pool back into his eyes. Jazzie's heart rate dropped and he showed neurological systems. His friend Hunter knew something was wrong as he suddenly stayed by the giraffe's side again not going outside. Jazz took his last breath with Hunter and all his human mommies by his side.

"So we finally know that Jazz didn't have a bad giraffe mother that left him, she just knew. As proven to us so many times before, nature's mother's know. But we still have to try every single time no matter how hard it is."RIP Jazz the Giraffe. You have taught us so much in the last three weeks and we will remember you fondly."


And how's Hunter taking all this? After staying until the last breath, he stayed in front of Jazz's empty room for a bit before returning to his carers.

He has been eating and playing with his brother again, and will soon resume his training to be a tracking dog.

Such a good boy!

Oh no, that's so sad.

https://youtu.be/rOWTmr6Bj7Q

NAMIBIA
Who is the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF)? Find out who we are and what we do to save giraffe.

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is the only organisation in the world that concentrates solely on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild throughout Africa.
GCF is dedicated to securing a future for all giraffe populations in the wild.

To find out more please visit our website: https://giraffeconservation.org

Filmed and Produced by: Conservation Film Company

Locally extinct ‘smokey giraffes’ reintroduced to Iona in a new era for conservation in Angola


The Angolan giraffe, also known as the 'smokey giraffe' due to its darker-than-normal colouring, is specially adapted to the semidesert conditions of southern Angola, where it was virtually extirpated in the aftermath of the Angolan civil war. (Photo: Priya Tekriwal)

By Tony Carnie | 10 Jul 2023

Captured on a private game farm in central Namibia, the 14 giraffes were trucked roughly 1,300km northwards to Iona National Park and released on 5 July after a 36-hour journey.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Angolan giraffes are back home in southeast Angola after an absence of several decades. This follows the reintroduction of 14 of these towering animals to the Iona National Park after a 1,300km road journey from neighbouring Namibia last week.

This unique subspecies of the tallest animal in the world (also known as the “smokey giraffe” due to its darker-than-normal colouring) is specially adapted to the semidesert conditions of southern Angola, where it was virtually extirpated in the aftermath of the Angolan civil war.

According to wildlife author Stephen Carton-Barber, the species has more recently become known to many as the “Namibian giraffe” due to its demise in the country it was first named after. Assessments by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature suggest that the Angolan subspecies (Giraffa camelopardalis angolensis) was extinct in Angola by the late 1990s.

This is one of the reasons the symbolic return of more than a dozen of these animals from Namibia has cheered wildlife conservationists.


A young giraffe waits anxiously to be released from a transport truck. (Photo: Casey Crafford)


A specially designed transporter arrives in Angola’s Iona National Park after a journey of more than 1,000km from central Namibia. (Photo: Priya Tekriwal)


Some of the 14 Angolan giraffes moved to Iona National Park. Adults can grow to a height of 5.5 metres. Their legs alone are taller than most people. (Photo: Casey Crafford)

Their return is also significant from an ecological perspective because these long-necked creatures help to shape the vegetation by browsing at a higher level than antelope, and also by dispersing seeds due to their selective feeding habits.

Captured on a private game farm in central Namibia, the giraffes were trucked roughly 1,300km northwards to Iona National Park and released on 5 July after a 36-hour-journey.

The translocation was sponsored by the Wyss Foundation in the US and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation in Namibia, and is the first of multiple giraffe translocations to ensure a viable population in the park.

Giraffe Conservation Foundation director Stephanie Fennessy described the move as “an extraordinary achievement” for giraffe conservation in Angola.

“By reintroducing giraffe to their historical range, we re-establish their range, ensure their long-term survival and contribute to restoring the ecological balance in the region.”

Iona, a sprawling 15,000km² national park known for its combination of desert, semidesert, grasslands and mountain scenery is now co-managed by the Angolan government and the African Parks network which has offices in Johannesburg, Amsterdam and New York.

African Parks signed a long-term management agreement with the Angolan Ministry of Environment in 2019 to collaborate in protecting the park’s natural and cultural heritage, and also redevelop ecotourism.

African Parks says there is potential to reintroduce elephants, rhinos and lions in future, to boost the existing mix of aardwolf, kudu, mountain zebra, impala, springbok, steenbok, oryx, brown hyena, leopard, black-backed jackal and cheetah.

African Parks manages 22 national parks and protected areas in 12 countries covering more than 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Abias Huongo, Secretary of State for Angola’s Ministry of Environment, said in a statement that “the reintroduction of giraffe 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.” DM

Giraffes could go extinct – the 5 biggest threats they face


Giraffes could go exinct. (Photo: Simon Marks / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

By Derek E. Lee | 15 Nov 2023

Giraffes are vulnerable to extinction, mainly due to habitat loss and killing for bushmeat markets. The good news is human actions can alleviate that danger.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Giraffes are the world’s tallest mammals and an African icon, but they are also vulnerable to extinction.

Giraffe populations have declined by 40% in the last 30 years, and there are now fewer than 70,000 mature individuals left in the wild. What are the causes of this alarming decline, and what can be done to protect these gentle giants?

The five biggest threats to giraffes are habitat loss, insufficient law enforcement, ecological changes, climate change, and lack of awareness. Below, I will tell you about these threats and what is being done to save them.

I will also explain a study I was a part of that ranked these threats in terms of each one’s danger of causing giraffe extinction, and whether human actions can alleviate that danger. The study used data from more than 3,100 giraffes identified over eight years in an unfenced 4,500km² area of the Tarangire ecosystem in Tanzania. We used the data to simulate how environmental and land use changes could affect the giraffe population over 50 years. The findings can guide conservation actions.

Habitat degradation, fragmentation and loss

Giraffes need large areas of savanna with abundant native bushes and trees to feed on. The biggest threat to giraffes is the degradation, fragmentation and loss of their habitats through human activities such as farming and human settlement expansion.

Habitat loss outside protected areas is the main reason for the recent decline in giraffe numbers. National parks provide most of the remaining habitat. Some good habitat remains unprotected but is cared for by pastoralists. Traditional pastoralists like the Maasai in northern Tanzania maintain large spaces of natural savanna where wildlife and people thrive together. However, most people now living in areas that were giraffe habitats are sedentary. As populations of farmers and townspeople expand, giraffes are forced into smaller and more isolated patches of land. This reduces their access to food and water and increases their vulnerability.

Conservationists are working to safeguard existing unprotected giraffe habitats and maintain or restore the connections among protected areas. Community-based natural resource management is central to this activity. It gives local communities the legal power to protect their land and resources.

Insufficient law enforcement

Another major threat to giraffes is illegal hunting (poaching) for bushmeat markets. International criminal syndicates usually control this.

Strong wildlife law enforcement is the best tool to combat this threat. Conservationists are working to strengthen local and international law enforcement around wildlife crimes and to reduce the demand for giraffe products. At the grassroots level, this requires supporting anti-poaching patrols by rangers and village game scouts. It’s also essential that communities should have legal alternative ways to make a living.

Ecological changes

A third major threat to giraffes is human-caused ecological change that affects their food availability and mobility. These changes include deforestation of savannas for fuelwood and charcoal production, mining activity, and road and pipeline building. Water diversion and groundwater pumping also affect their habitat and access to water.

Mining, roads and pipelines can disrupt the natural movement patterns of wildlife, leading to smaller, more isolated populations that are more susceptible to local extinction.

Conservationists are promoting sustainable forestry, new cooking techniques such as gas stoves, water conservation and planning for groundwater resources, and building wildlife crossings into roads and pipelines.

Climate change

Climate change from human-caused carbon dioxide pollution is forecast to increase temperatures and rainfall in many African savanna areas. Giraffes are unaffected by the higher temperatures observed so far, but increased seasonal rainfall is associated with lower giraffe survival due to disease and lower food quality.

Over the longer term, more rainfall will create conditions favourable to increased woody plant cover in savannas. This could help giraffes by increasing their food supply, but only if enough natural savanna is preserved from human exploitation.

Lack of knowledge and awareness

The fifth major threat to giraffes is the lack of knowledge and awareness about their conservation needs. Giraffes are often overlooked and underrepresented in wildlife research, funding and policy. Many people are unaware that giraffes are endangered and face multiple threats across Africa.

Conservationists are working to increase knowledge and awareness about giraffes locally and worldwide. Scientists are studying giraffe demography, diet, behaviour and genetics, and there is a large environmental education programme in Tanzania, the US and Europe.

Creating a safe future for giraffes

Giraffes are facing a silent extinction crisis in Africa. But there is still hope that they can be saved if people understand and address the threats.

The new study I coauthored ranked threats and looked at potentially mitigating actions. Our simulation showed that the greatest risk factor for local giraffe extinction was a reduction in wildlife law enforcement leading to more poaching. In the model, an increase in law enforcement would mitigate the negative effects of climate change and the expansion of towns along the edges of protected areas. The study highlights the great utility of law enforcement as a nature conservation tool.

Given their vast historical Africa-wide range and individual home ranges of thousands of hectares, giraffes will not likely survive only within the boundaries of small, fragmented protected areas. I propose as part of our evidence-based recommendations that rangelands used by wildlife and pastoralists as movement pathways be permanently protected from farming, mining and infrastructure. This will give people as well as wide-ranging animals like giraffes freedom to roam.

It will also require expanding wildlife law enforcement in village lands outside formal protected areas. These measures would help make it possible for people and giraffes to thrive together. DM

This story was first published on The Conversation. Derek E. Lee is an Associate Research Professor of Biology at Penn State.

for this!