Clarification on misinformation by Tana River County Government

 Friday, January 15th 2020 

The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) wishes to inform and clarify a statement made by H.E. Hon. Dhadho Godana, the Governor County Government of Tana River, regarding the removal of the white giraffe from Ndera Community Conservancy.

There is one known white reticulated giraffe in Kenya, and it roams freely in Ijara, Garissa. It has never been translocated.

Reports of a white giraffe were first received from community members in Garissa County to Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy in 2017. This was a female giraffe who was free-ranging and roaming with other wild herds in Ijara north-east of Ishaqbini Conservancy. The story was aired on Citizen Television on February 9th 2019.

In 2017, she had a male calf which was also white, and in 2019 she gave birth to a second white calf. In early 2020, carcasses of the female and her youngest calf were reported by herders, their deaths were verified by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) as having been killed by poachers in the same area of Ijara in Garissa County.

The male calf, now a sub-adult, is the only known white reticulated giraffe that remains in the area and in November 2020, at the request of Ishaqbini Community Conservancy board, KWS veterinarians, with the support of NRT, fitted it with a GPS tracking device in order to improve the monitoring and protection of this rare animal. During the exercise it was darted, but was not moved. The exercise was conducted at the same location it was found, in Ijara,Garissa. The tracking device sends locations of the giraffe daily to KWS, NRT, Ishaqbini Conservancy and other conservation partners.

The white giraffe remains free-ranging with other wild giraffe and it is not confined to any location. Any wildlife translocation in Kenya, is a mandate of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and it is only though their approval and of communities within wildlife dispersal areas that any conservation institution in Kenya can undertake translocation.

The Northern Rangelands Trust will continue with its endeavor to support communities to govern and manage their wild spaces for the benefit of people and wildlife, whilst working hand in hand with key actors including the county governments. NRT also wishes to thank Tana River County Government for its continued support.