Giraffes in Africa

[Nikola Chavkoski]

I just found out that the Massai giraffe is listed as endangered, and the Rothschild's giraffe is listed as near-threatened, though it is around 10 times less numerous than the Massai giraffe.

I was pleased to see quite a lot of wild Massai giraffes in Tanzania, in Mikumi, Arusha and Tarangire NPs. They even appeared along motor road in Mikumi National Park, part of the Southern circuit of national parks in Tanzania, a more forested and tree-denser area (Selous Game reserve, is also part of that circuit, and where it seems that most lion attacks on humans in Tanzania occurs in that region, a tree-denser).

Nikola Chavkoski added a new photo. - Nikola Chavkoski
Nikola Chavkoski added a new photo. - Nikola Chavkoski

I found out these good news for West African giraffes: The population increased from 50 giraffes in the 1990s to around 600 nowadays, thanks to conservation measures, and they started to translocate the giraffes to other areas in Niger to form a satellite insurrance populations to the main population (that live in a 'giraffe zone' in Sahel, 60 km South-East from the Niger capital).

West African giraffe return to Gadabedji after 50 years of absence - Africa Geographic

 

[Nikola Chavkoski]

To me, the most attractive giraffe is the Massai giraffe and the West African giraffe ("The white giraffe").

I was happy to see quite a lot of Massai giraffes in the wild, seemengly they were doing well; At the same time, I am sad because they are not in the European zoos. People in Tanzania said it is strictly prohibited to kill a giraffe, and for doing so, one can ends in jail. I see Massai in Mikumi NP, Arusha NP (montanous terrain), and Tarangire NP.

Massais I have pictured:
In Mikumi NP: Log into Facebook | Facebook
Log into Facebook | Facebook
Log into Facebook | Facebook
Log into Facebook | Facebook

In Arusha NP: Log into Facebook | Facebook
Log into Facebook | Facebook
Log into Facebook | Facebook

In Tarangire NP: Log into Facebook | Facebook
Log into Facebook | Facebook
Log into Facebook | Facebook
Log into Facebook | Facebook

My plan is, next year, in the period June (end of rainy season, with lush vegetation)/July 2024 to go to Kenya and do budget safaris in several national parks and conservancies there (a must, Masai Mara, Nairobi-cheap, Tsavo East, Ol Pejeta conservancy, Samburu national reserve, Ngulia rhino sanctuary for black rhinoceroses). Kenya is unique in that it has more giraffe subspecies in the wild than any other country. It is intriguing how the three subspecies are separated, and how they are not and where they eventualy overrlap in their distributions; As we know, Massai giraffe is distributed in Southern Kenya, in national parks like Masai Mara, Nairobi, Amboseli or Tsavo West/East; Reticulated giraffe ("The red giraffe") is present in Samburu National park, Buffalo National Reserve, among others, and its southernmost distribution touches the northern part of Tsavo East NP; Rothschilds giraffe ("The Yellow giraffe") lives in Lake Nakuru NP in Southwestern part of Kenya.