Social development and biodiversity conservation synergies for the West African giraffe in a human–wildlife landscape

Abstract

Summary The West African giraffe is restricted to Niger, but historically it inhabited much of the Sudano-Sahelian zone. The population is concentrated in the ‘Giraffe Zone’ (GZ), an unprotected area with a high human population density. Since the mid-1990s, the giraffe population has steadily increased mainly due to the collective social and conservation initiatives of the government, non-governmental organizations and the local community. In 2018, the first West African giraffe satellite population was established through the reintroduction of eight individuals into Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve (GBR). In this study, we aimed to describe the current state of human–giraffe coexistence, human attitudes towards giraffe and human habits of natural resources use through a questionnaire survey conducted in the GZ and GBR. Although most of the GZ respondents highlighted crop damage caused by giraffe, we also found overall positive attitudes towards the animals. Most respondents from both sites expressed positive attitudes towards giraffe, highlighting that they do not see poaching as a major current threat. However, the giraffe population continues to be directly threatened by habitat loss through firewood cutting, livestock overgrazing and agriculture expansion. Long-term conservation of the West African giraffe is dependent on better habitat protection and understanding of current human–giraffe coexistence through ensuring that giraffe presence will benefit local communities across their range.

Saving the Last West African Giraffe Population: A Review of Its Conservation Status and Management

“…Over the past few decades, the increasing population numbers and range of both humans and giraffes in Niger has led to growing human–giraffe conflict [ 47 , 48 ]. Daytime crop raiding by giraffes, e.g., cowpeas Vigna unguiculata , has been further exacerbated by the night time raiding of mangoes Mangifera indica [ 45 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ]. In retaliation, some local community members have threatened giraffes by chasing them with modified weapons [ 51 ], with at least one giraffe being killed [ 43 ].…”

“…comm.). Despite a high tolerance towards giraffes, conflict will likely increase as both populations grow and competition for resources rises [ 54 ]. The carrying capacity of giraffes in the ‘Giraffe Zone’ is hard to assess; however, as the food resources decrease, giraffes are seeking more favorable habitats further away from the core ‘Giraffe Zone’, with greater food availability and fewer human disturbances ([ 35 ], A. Zabeirou pers.…”