Giraffe translocations: A review and discussion of considerations

Abstract

Giraffe populations have declined dramatically in the last three decades. Giraffe translocations are likely to increase as wildlife managers seek to augment or re‐establish populations. Currently, formal practical guidance for giraffe translocations is limited. Here, we present a review of translocation guidelines emphasising planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and we review giraffe behaviour and ecology to provide recommendations specific to the translocation of giraffes. We also aim to stimulate discussion about best practices for giraffe translocations and further research into the ethical and practical considerations of moving giraffes.

Combining species distribution models and moderate resolution satellite information to guide conservation programs for reticulated giraffe

“…Biological interactions can play important roles in determining habitat use by giraffe and importantly, the outcome of a conservation translocation (Muller et al ., 2020; Fennessy et al ., 2022). Incorporating biological interactions into habitat suitability modeling frameworks, however, is challenging (Kissling et al ., 2012).…”

“…Translocations of different giraffe species have occurred within and across numerous African range and non‐range states for decades (Chege, 2008; Malyjurkova et al ., 2014; Flanagan et al ., 2016; Muller et al ., 2020; Gippoliti, Robovský, & Angelici, 2021). In recent years, detailed information on best practices for giraffe translocation assessments has been developed that includes capture, handling, transportation, and monitoring (Fennessy et al ., 2022).…”

Taxonomy and Translocations of African Mammals: A Plea for a Cautionary Approach

“…It should be emphasized that the taxonomically sensitive translocation policies [153] would be important for the preservation of current diversity but also for the ecological restoration of some regions within rewilding, which could be essential for the preservation of some unique (often refugee) species [154,155]. Considering the restricted distribution of some giraffe taxa [98,156] and its important role in communities as flower predators [157], giraffe translocations [105] have a great potential that should be utilized for future generations.…”

“…In summary, translocations of giraffes have a long tradition [105]. Some represent a helpful conservation management tool, as we mentioned above, but some others are questionable from a conservation perspective, at least until we have a clear understanding of separable conservation units in some key regions that have so far received little attention.…”

“…Among the most important findings include the description of a new-historically extinct-taxon from Senegal, G. camelopardalis senegalensis Petzold, Magnant, and Hassanin, 2020, which went extinct around 1970; the revalidation of G. g. wardi Lydekker, 1904; and a stricter geographical delimitation of the nominal G. c. camelopardalis, which make this taxon, the Nubian giraffe, another example of a taxon "allowed to slip into extinction unnoticed" [40]. The better definition of conservation units or ECUs is a greater priority today than fixing the number of species, considering that taxonomy is particularly relevant when translocations are considered a key conservation component [105]. Petzold and collaborators [98] have contributed to better delineate conservation units, especially in the northern continental sector that has traditionally received scarcer conservation attention and where biogeographical barriers, such as the Nile Basin, have been scarcely considered in mammal taxonomic studies [106,107].…”