TheGiraffeConservationFoundation(GCF)isdedicatedtoasustainablefutureforallgiraffepopulationsinthewild.

CountryProfile

UnitedRepublicofTanzaniaGiraffeConservationStatusReport

Sub-region:EastAfrica

Generalstatistics

Sizeofcountry:947,303km²

Sizeofprotectedareas/percentageprotectedareacoverage:38%

Speciesandsubspecies

Untilrecently,itwaswidelyrecognisedthattherewasonlyonespeciesandninesubspeciesofgiraffe.New

genetic research, conductedby theGiraffeConservationFoundation (GCF)andpartners,has shown that

there are in fact four distinct species and five subspecies of giraffe. These ground-breaking findingswill

enhancefuturegirafferesearch,conservationandmanagement.Toconfirmthesefindings,furtherresearch

is currently carried out by GCF and partners to correlate current and new genetics findings with the

traditionalclassificationtaxonomymethods,basedonmorphologyandgeography.

BasedonthesefindingsthenewtaxonomyhasbeenusedintheCountryProfileandthefollowinggiraffe

speciesandsubspeciesoccurinTanzania(Fennessyetal.2016):

Masaigiraffe–Giraffatippelskirchi(formerlyGiraffacamelopardalistippelskirchi)

Localname:Twiga(Kiswahili)

ConservationStatus

IUCNRedList(IUCN2016)

TheIUCNcurrentlyrecognisesonespeciesandninesubspeciesofgiraffe(seeabove).

Giraffacamelopardalis(asaspecies)–Vulnerable

G.c.tippelskirchi–notassessed

CountryProfile:UnitedRepublicofTanzania–GiraffeConservationStatusReport 2

InTanzania

GiraffearethenationalanimaloftheUnitedRepublicofTanzania(referredtoas‘Tanzania’inthisreport),

andassuch,areprotectedundertheWildlifeConservationActNo.5of2009,whichprohibitsanykilling,

wounding,capturingandhunting.Punishmentforviolatingthisactincludesfinesandimprisonment.While

there is nodirectmentionof giraffe as Tanzania’s national animal in the constitution, giraffe havebeen

prominently used in Tanzanian symbolism. For instance, giraffewere used aswatermarks on Tanzanian

banknotes issued since independence in 1961 to the 2011 series (Linzmayer 2011). In fact, the Bank of

Tanzania unveiled the ‘Giraffe banknote series’ in 1997 whereby the 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000

denominationshadgiraffeastheobverse(principaldesign),whilethe5,000-banknoteretainedgiraffeasthe

reverseaswell(Fig.1).Giraffearealsousedwidelyinmarketingandpromotingvariousproductsandservices

inTanzaniaincludingbeer(i.e.TwigaBrew),tourism(e.g.TwigaCampsite&Lodge),buildingmaterial(e.g.

TwigaCement),banks(i.e.TwigaBancorp),andchemicalproducts(e.g.TwigaChemicalIndustries),toname

butafew.

Fig.1:The1997‘Giraffebanknoteseries’thatprominentlyfeaturedtheMasaigiraffe,Tanzania’snationalanimal

(Retrieved:http://banknote.ws/COLLECTION/countries/AFR/TAN/TAN.htm#(1997)_Giraffe_Issue).

Issues/threats

TanzaniaishometotheMasaigiraffeonly,distributedthroughoutnorthernandcentralareasofthecountry.

Themost important contemporary threats to theMasai giraffe are illegal hunting, land use change and

disease.

Masaigiraffeareillegallyhuntedusingguns,snaresanddogsformeat,aswellasforproductssuchashide,

bonesandtailhairs(Caro2008;Straussetal.2015).InSerengetiNationalPark(NP),adultgiraffeareillegally

huntedwithwiresnareshungintreecanopies(Straussetal.2015).Althoughasinglegiraffecanprovidea

largequantityofmeat,itisnotclearthatgiraffearepreferredasasourceofbushmeat(e.g.Straussetal.

2015).Giraffeproductsarealso recorded in traditionalmedicine in someareasofTanzania, inparticular

giraffe bone marrow and brains are believed to cure HIV/AIDS (Arusha Times 2004; Nkwame 2007).

Additionally,tail-hairandotherproductsareusedtomakebraceletsandtrinketsfortourists(Mbogoni2013).

Betweenthe1970sand2000s,MasaigiraffenumbersdeclinedinSerengetiNP,partiallyduetopoaching

(Straussetal.2015),whileRentschetal.(2015)estimatedannualgiraffepoachingcauseda2-10%declinein

the Serengeti population. Poaching ofMasai giraffe appears to be alsowidespread in the Katavi-Rukwa

ecosystem (Caro2008)and theWestKilimanjarocorridor (Nkwame2007). Illegalhuntinghaspotentially

CountryProfile:UnitedRepublicofTanzania–GiraffeConservationStatusReport 3

resultedintheneartotalabsenceofgiraffeinthegamecontrolledareainthewesternpartoftheTarangire-

Manyaraecosystem(Kiffneretal.2015).However,thedisappearanceofgiraffeinthisareaisalsoreported

tobeduetoincreasedlivestockinfluxandgrazing(TAWIRIpers.comm.).Tobetterunderstandtheeffectsof

poachingonMasaigiraffe,morecomprehensiveandwide-spreadstudiesneedtobedoneonunderstanding

thedrivers.

Extensive land use change has occurred across some parts of the Masai giraffe range. The majority of

Tanzania’shumanpopulationrelyonsubsistencefarming,yetincreasinghumanpopulationsareleadingto

areductioninhabitat(Soini2005),andareaswithhumansettlementandagriculturehavereducedspecies

richness(Kiffneretal.2015).IntheMt.Kilimanjaroarea,habitatlossandfragmentation,coupledwiththe

expansionandappearanceofsettlements,isincreasing(Soini2005).Whilemanagementareas(inhabitedby

both livestock andwildlife) showno reduction in species richness, they do show a difference in species

composition(Kiffneretal.2015).Thismightbeaspecialcasehowever,asareaswithlivestockinTanzania

havesmallerwildlifenumbers.Importantly,thecoexistenceoflivestockandwildlifeisfundamentaltothe

continued survival ofmany largemammal species in Tanzania (and other areas of Africa).While such a

situation may increase the likelihood of broader human-wildlife conflict, the impact on giraffe is likely

minimalasdiseasetransmission,competitionforresourcesandillegalhuntingmaybemoreseriousthreats

(Kiffneretal.2015).

Increasingly,giraffeskindisease(GSD),aninfectioncharacterisedbygreyish-brownlesionsthatappearon

the forelimbsandneckof adult and sub-adult giraffe (Fig. 2), appears tobean indirect threat to giraffe

survivalinTanzania(Epaphrasetal.2012,Karimuriboetal.2011).WhileGSDwasfirstobservedinRuahaNP

in2000(Epaphrasetal.2012),theTanzaniaNationalParksAuthority(TANAPA)nowconsidersittobeamong

themosturgentthreatstogiraffepopulationsinthecountry(TANAPApers.comm.).Tanzaniaisahotspot

forGSDwiththehighestreportedratesinAfrica:86%oftheobservedgiraffepopulationinRuahaNPhave

symptomsofGSD,whileasmanyas63%and23%ofthegiraffepopulationinTarangireNPandSerengetiNP

respectivelyshowsignsoftheskincondition(Munezaetal.2016,2017).

Fig.2:VariationintheseverityofGSDonthelimbsofMasaigiraffeinRuahaNP,Tanzania.Panelsa,b,c:mild,moderate

andsevereGSD(Munezaetal.2016).

Despite thesedocumentedhigh ratesofGSD,no studyhasproven that the infection is fatal to affected

individuals.Theetiologicalagentofthediseaseisyettobeidentifiedaswell,butpreliminaryresultsindicate

thatGSD is causedbyanematode, then furthercomplicatedbya fungal infection (Epaphrasetal.2014,

Munezaetal.2016).Recentresearchhasproposedthatsoilmightplayarole inthedevelopmentofthe

disease(Bondetal.2016).Becausethediseasemanifestsprimarilyonthelimbs,researchershavesuggested

that the disease could lead to lameness, reducedmobility and eventually increased vulnerability to lion

CountryProfile:UnitedRepublicofTanzania–GiraffeConservationStatusReport 4

predation(Epaphrasetal.2012,2014;Munezaetal.2017).TanzaniaisalsotheonlyareainAfricawhere

giraffeeardisease(GED)hasbeenobserved(Karimuriboetal.2011,Munezaetal.2016).Theinfectionis

characterisedbylesionsappearingontheears,whichthenbecomedroopyandoftenloseaportionofthem

(Karimuriboetal.2011).PreliminaryresultssuggestthatGEDcouldbecausedbytheKikobogaworm,named

afterthelocationineasternTanzaniawhereitwasfirstdiscovered,closetoMikumiNP(TAWIRIpers.comm.).

BothGSDandGEDpresentanunknownlong-termthreattogiraffe,letalonetootherwildlifeorlivestockas

nostudyhasexaminedyetwhethereitherdiseasecanbetransmitted.

Estimatepopulationabundanceandtrends

Historic

MasaigiraffewereoncewidespreadinnorthernandcentralTanganyika(nowpresentdayTanzania),with

sightingscommonbothinsideandoutsideofprotectedareas(Sidney1965).Accurateestimatesofgiraffe

distribution and abundance at the beginning of the last century are hard to come by. Sidney (1965)

speculatedthatalthoughtherewasnonumericalcomparisonavailable,giraffedistributionwassimilarto

whatitwasintheearly1900s.Itwasknownthatalargenumberofgiraffeweredecimatedbyrinderpestin

thefirst60yearsafter itsdetection in1890(Barrettetal.2006),butthiswasnotthoughttohavehada

lastingimpactonthepopulation,whichlaterrecoveredsomewhataftertheglobaleradicationofrinderpest

(Sidney1965).AlthoughnopopulationestimateforTanzaniaisavailable,bythemiddleofthe1900sMasai

giraffehadawidespread,stablepopulationthatwasinnodangerofextermination(Sidney1965).

GiraffewerecommonlyseeninmanyareasincludingtheSerengetiPlains,NgorongoroConservationArea,

manypartsoftheMasaiSteppe,aroundMt.KilimanjaroandtheSanyaPlains.Agamecountconductedin

January1958estimated750giraffeinSerengetiNPalone,mostlyaroundBanagi(Sidney1965).Giraffehave

neverbeenseenintheSouthernProvinceofTanzania,theirrangerestrictedbytheRufijiRiver(Sidney1965).

Aroundthemiddleofthelastcentury,giraffeherdsnumbering30-40individualswereregularlyseeninthe

SerengetiPlains(Sidney1965).

Studies conducted throughout the1960sand1970s in various locationsaround the countryoften found

giraffepopulationstobestable,ifnotincreasing.Throughout1960-61,Lamprey(1964)concludedthatthe

giraffedensityintheTarangireecosystemhadremainedstableat0.95giraffeperkm2throughouttheyear.

AnaerialcensusoftheSerengeticonductedin1976foundthatgiraffenumbershadincreasedby6%inthe

5-yearperiodsince1971(Pellew1983).AnextensiveaerialsurveyoftheRuahaNP,theRungwaandKizigo

GameReservesand theproposedMloa-IlambiGameControlledArea conducted in1977observed3,478

giraffe(Barnes&Douglas-Hamilton1982).Thisstudyfoundtheretobeanon-significantincreaseingiraffe

numbers from the previously reported 2,430 giraffe in 1972 (Norton-Griffiths 1975; Barnes & Douglas-

Hamilton1982).

Recent

East(1999)reportedthatthegiraffepopulationinSerengetiNPhaddeclinedfrom8,830in1989-91to6,170

in1996.Heproposedillegalhuntingand/orpossiblydiseaseastheapparentcauseofdecline.East(1999)

alsostatedthattherewasatotalof28,860giraffeinTanzania,mostlyinsideofprotectedareas.

Caroetal.(1998)highlightedthatillegalhuntingwashavinganegativeimpactongiraffepopulationsacross

thewholeofTanzania.Poacherswereknowntomoveintohuntingareasoncetourismabatedinthewet

season(Caroetal.1998).Caro(1999)foundaveryhighlocaldensityofgiraffe(2.21giraffe/km2)intheKatavi-

CountryProfile:UnitedRepublicofTanzania–GiraffeConservationStatusReport 5

Rukwa ecosystem, which was not unusual for the area as the seasonal lakes in the Katavi-Rukwa NP

supportedveryhighlocalpopulationsoflargemammals.AlaterstudybyCaro(2008)inthesameecosystem

notedanon-significantdeclineinthegiraffepopulationfrom1988-2002,aswellasotherlargemammals.

This evaluation of long-term data from the Serengeti Ecological Monitoring Program (SEMP), Tanzania

WildlifeConservationMonitoringProgram(TWCM)andConservationInformationMonitoringUnit(CIMU)

wasgatheredfromsystematicreconnaissanceflights(SRF)(Stoneretal.2006).Furthermore,datacamefrom

thevehiclesurveyscarriedoutin1995-96(Caro1999)coupledwithfootsurveysundertakenin2004(Waltert

etal.2008),whichestimatedadensityof0.71giraffe/km2.Caro(2008)concludedthatthedeclineingiraffe

wasmainlyduetoillegalhuntingpressure.

WhiletheKatavi-Rukwasystemsawadeclineingiraffenumbers,Treydleetal.(2005)assessedgroundsurvey

andaerialsurveydatafrom1991-2003andobservedan increase inthegiraffepopulation inSaadaniNP.

Between2001and2003,152giraffewerecountedthroughoutthePark.

AcomprehensivestudyofalltheSRFdatafrom1988-2001wasconductedbyStoneretal.(2006;2007).Six

regionsofTanzaniaweresurveyed,encompassing largeprotectedareassuchasnationalparksandgame

reserves.TheseanalysesfoundthatonlytheKatavi-Rukwahabitatshowedadeclineingiraffepopulation.

Throughouttheotherfivesurveyareas,giraffepopulationswerestable.

Fig.3.Giraffesightinglocationsfrom2003-2008,fromtheTanzaniaMammalAtlasProject.Giraffeareclustered

withinprotectedareasbutthismayjustbeaconsequenceofwheretheSRFtransectsbiaswereflown.Retrieved:

http://www.tanzaniamammals.org/uploads/maps/l079_giraffe.jpgon6-24-2015.

CountryProfile:UnitedRepublicofTanzania–GiraffeConservationStatusReport 6

Current

TAWIRIhavebeenconductingSRF’ssince1986andpopulationestimatesfromthemarehighlyvariablewith

largeconfidenceintervalsinsomecases,complicatinginterpretationsoftrends.Itisimportanttonotethat

thisisstandardTAWIRIprotocolasregularSRFflightsareconductedeverythreeyearsunlessanurgentneed

arisespromptedbydrasticchangesinclimaticpatternsorotherecologicalchanges.AnanalysisbyBolgeret

al.(2016)oftheTAWIRIdatasetattemptedtosmoothvariationindatabyaveragingthefirsttenyearsof

data(1986-1995)andcomparingthatwiththeaverageofthelasttenyearsofdata(2002-2011).Thesetime

rangescontaindifferentnumbersofestimatesineachsite.Thisanalysismethoddeterminedtheretobea

29%decline ingiraffenumbersacrossTanzania fromapproximately31,000to22,000giraffe.Statistically

significantdeclineswereseenintheKataviandRuaha-Rungwaregions.Inanattempttocompensateforany

underlyingtrends inthedatathataveragingoveranumberofyearscancreate,Bolgeretal. (2016)used

regressionequationsusingthefunctionln(populationsize)from1986-2011.Thissuggestsamoresubstantial

declineof52%from39,000to19,000inthesesixareasofTanzaniaoverthe25-yearperiod.Nonetheless,it

is importanttonotethatthisfigureisclosertotheTAWIRISRFestimateof23,000giraffe(TAWIRI2016).

Thus,despitetrendofgiraffepopulationdeclinesacrossEastAfrica,Tanzaniasupportsthe largestgiraffe

populationofanyAfricancountry.

ArecentstudyconductedinSerengetiNPbyStraussetal.(2015)usedphotographicmark-recapturemethods

toestimate localpopulationdensitiesofgiraffe inthreelocations:Seronera,KirawiraandBologonja.This

density data was used to extrapolate to other areas in the park with a similar habitat. Based on this

extrapolationtheysuggestthetotalSerengetiNPpopulationwasapproximately3,500in2008-2010.Recent

SRF data from Serengeti NP estimated 5,886 ±1,221 giraffe for the same period (TAWIRI 2010). These

populationestimates,whencomparedtothoseofPellew(1983)in1975-76,suggestadeclineof67-86%.

However, SRFdata from the larger Serengeti ecosystem,which includes theMaswaGameReserve (GR),

Ikorongo GR, Grumeti GR, Ikona Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Makao WMA and Loliondo Game

Controlled Area (GCA) indicate a population of approximately 12,000 giraffe (TAWIRI 2010). The major

reasons forgiraffedeclines in theSerengetiecosystemare illegalhuntingandsnaring (HoareandBrown

2010;KilewoandMpanduji2010;Marealleetal.2010),disease(Bondetal.2016;Munezaetal.2016)and

food limitation causedby the increase in relative abundanceofunpalatable tree species, notablyAcacia

robusta.Other threatsnoted in theSerengeti ecosystem includeencroachment (in thewest, there isno

bufferzonebetweenthePAandfarmlands),impactsofclimatechange,wildfires,erosionofriverbanks,and

humanactivitiesalongtheriverbank.

IntheTarangire-Manyaraecosystem,Lee(2015)usedphotographicmark-recapturemethodsandrecorded

adecliningtrendinthemetapopulationgrowthratebetween2012-2014.Thetotalpopulationsizeofadult

giraffewithinthesampleareawasestimatedat1,225individuals(790adultfemalesand435adultmales),

approximately1.07giraffe/km2.ThemostrecentdatafromTAWIRISRFs,whichcovertheareasofTarangire

NP,LakeManyaraNP,ManyaraRanchConservancy,LolkisaleGCA,LakeBurungeWMAandMtowaMbu

GCA, indicate a giraffe population of 3,904 ±507 individuals (TAWIRI 2016). Interestingly, demographic

analysisof sub-populationsat five locations in thecoreof theecosystem foundspatial variation inadult

female survivorship thatwaspositively correlatedwith the intensityof anti-poachingpatrolsbyTANAPA

rangers(Leeetal.2016).AsisthecasewithmanyoftheconservationareasinnorthernTanzania,poaching

andhabitatfragmentationarethemajorthreatstogiraffesurvivalintheTarangire-Manyaraecosystem.

GiraffepopulationsintheKatavi-Rukwaecosystemshowadecliningtrend(Stoneretal.2007b;Caro2008)

and it was suggested that illegal hunting was themost serious threat to giraffe (Caro 2008). Based on

interviewswith82illegalhuntersinvillagesalongthesouthwestboundariesoftheparkandgamereserve,

Martin&Caro(2012)estimatedthat98Masaigiraffewereillegallyhuntedannually.In2005,therewerean

estimated4,300giraffeintheKatavi-Rukwaecosystem(Meyeretal.2005),downfromanestimated6,107

giraffe, thatwerecountedvia foot-surveys (Caro2008).RecentTAWIRIdata showthat thepopulation is

stable,withsurveysin2012and2014finding1,076giraffeand853±157girafferespectively.Inadditionto

poaching,themajorthreatstotheKatavi-Rukwaecosystemincludehabitatlossduetoa)pooragricultural

andminingpracticesandunsustainableirrigation(thishasresultedinpollutionandsiltationofLakesKatavi,

CountryProfile:UnitedRepublicofTanzania–GiraffeConservationStatusReport 7

ChadaandRukwa);b)blockinganddammingofmajorrivercauseways,whichhasresultinginemigrationand

die-offofwildlifedownstream;andc)immigrationoflargeherdsoflivestockanddeforestation.

RecenttotalcountsbyKenyaWildlifeService(KWS)between2005and2017showthatthegiraffepopulation

inMkomaziNPhasmorethandoubledfromapproximately62individualstoanestimated255(Ngeneetal.

2017).ThisincreasecanbeattributedtoMkomaziNPbeingupgradedtonationalparkstatusin2007and

bettermanagement.TAWIRI’sSRFdataalsoshowthatthegiraffepopulationcouldpotentiallybehigher,

withtheparksupporting406±108giraffe.Themajorthreats inMkomaziNP includecattle invasionsand

overgrazing,andpoachingofgiraffefortraditionalmedicineuses.Despitetheupgradingofthestatusofthe

conservationareain2007,Ngeneetal.(2017)foundasharpincreaseofcattleandshoatsbetween2005and

2017,from3,035headsofcattleto7,546andfrom800shoatsin2005to2,832shoats.

RecentestimatesofMasaigiraffenumbersintheWestKilimanjaroareawere237±48,while726±130giraffe

werecountedintheLakeNatronareabetween2010and2013(Okelloetal.2015).Theseestimateswere

averagedacrossseasonsandyears.IntheWestKilimanjaroandLakeNatronareas,noconsistenttrendin

giraffe numbers was observed. However, the same estimates show variations in giraffe movement and

habitatusewhencomparedtototalaerialcountsconductedbyKWSandTAWIRIinApril2013,duringthe

wetseason,whichobserved1,767giraffeintheNatronareaand813giraffeintheWestKilimanjaroarea

(Kenanaetal.2013).BoththeLakeNatronandWestKilimanjaroareashaverecentlybeenunder intense

humanpressure;Kenanaetal.(2013)observed159,281shoats,55,486cattle,1,382donkeysand21camels

intheNatronarea,and81,517shoats,41,954cattle,1,138donkeysand12camelsinWestKilimanjaro.

Road-basedtransectsurveysestimated100giraffeinArushaNP(Mahenyaetal.2016).ExistingTAWIRIdata

fromSRFsurveysindicatethatthegiraffepopulationinSaadaniNPisstableat483±187giraffe.Majorthreats

inSaadaniNPareillegalhuntingforbushmeatandparts,anddisease.Giraffeestimatesarestilllackingin

variousareasincludingtheBurigi-Biharamulo-Kimisiecosystem,SwagaGR,Mahaleecosystem,andIbanda-

Rumanyikaecosystem.

ConservationareasinwesternandsouthernTanzaniaarelessstudiedcomparedtotheonesinthenorth,an

effectoftheirlargesizeandlogisticdifficultiesinremoteareas.Forinstance,theRuaha-Rungwaecosystem

covers52,464km2andincludesRuahaNP,RungwaWMA,KizigoWMA,MuhesiWMAandLunda-Mkwambi

GCA.RuahaNPaloneis20,226km2,EastAfrica’slargestnationalparkandcoversalmosthalfoftheecosystem.

Road-basedphotographicmark-recapturesurveysinsouth-easternRuahaNPestimated1,614-2,040giraffe

inthestudyarea,whichinterestinglyisalsoahotspotforGSD(Munezaetal.2017).RecentSRFdataobserved

3,525 ±980 giraffe across the ecosystem (TAWIRI 2015a).Major threats identified in the Ruaha-Rungwa

ecosystemincludeGSD(Coppolilllo2004;Epaphrasetal.2012;Munezaetal.2017;TANAPApers.comm.),

poachingandsnaring(Coppolillo2004;TANAPApers.comm.),andhabitatfragmentation.

TheSelous-MikumiecosysteminsouthernTanzaniaishometooneofthelargestwildlifereservesinworld.

Anestimated3,183giraffeoccurintheecosystem(TAWIRI2015b),andimportantlytheyonlyoccurinthe

smallernorthernsectionoftheecosystemastheRufijiRiverformsanaturalbarrierandnogiraffehavebeen

sightedintheexpansivesouthernsectionoftheparkorSelous-NiassaCorridor.GiraffeintheSelous-Mikumi

ecosystemarethreatenedbybothGED(Osofsky2005;Karimuriboetal.2011)andGSD(Munezaetal.2016),

largeinfluxoflivestock,roadkillsandhabitatdegradation(TAWIRI2015b).

Lastly,thegiraffepopulationintheMalagarasi-MwoyovosiecosysteminwesternTanzania,coveringanarea

of44,809km2,isestimatedat1,300individuals(TAWIRI2015c).Theecosystem,whichincludesMwoyovosi

GR,KigosiGR,andUgallaGR,hasundergonea58%declineingiraffepopulationnumbersbetween2001and

2014.Thisreductioninisattributedtohabitatlossduetopollution,effectsofclimatechange,expansionof

agriculturalandpastoralactivities,andinfluxofrefugees(TWCM1998).Theincreaseofhumanpopulations

in the ecosystemhas coincidedwith increased poaching of giraffe,with giraffe killed usingmodern and

traditionalweapons.

CountryProfile:UnitedRepublicofTanzania–GiraffeConservationStatusReport 8

Ashighlightedinthedataabove,MasaigiraffepopulationsinTanzaniahavedeclinedoverthepast30years

–a trendwhichhasalsobeenobserved inKenya. If this rateofdeclineand themajor threats togiraffe

survivalintheregionremainunabated,therewillbeahighriskoflosingthelasthabitatstrongholdsofMasai

giraffe.Tanzania currentlyhasanestimated19,000-23,000giraffe, the largestofanyAfricannation,and

immediateactionisrequiredtosecurethefutureofthecountry’snationalanimal.WhileTanzania’shuman

population increases, and continue toplacepressureonnatural resources, the governmenthasput in a

framework to protect biodiversity. Tourism and biodiversity have been identified as key components to

realising Tanzania’s Development Vision of 2025. It is envisaged that giraffe will also benefit from the

increased efforts put in place to further develop tourism and the better manage the country’s natural

resources,whicharekeytodevelopingTanzania’seconomy.

FutureConservationManagement

ThefollowingareproposedconservationmanagementoptionsforgiraffeinTanzania:

• Development and implementation of aNationalGiraffe Strategy andAction Plan for Tanzania in

partnershipwithgovernmentandrelevantstakeholders;

• Increasedsupporttogiraffeconservationinitiatives,habitatprotection(includingwildlifecorridors),

andeducationandawarenesscreationinitiatives;

• ExaminethepathologyandaetiologyofGSDandGEDforgiraffepopulationmanagementandassess

potentialforzoonoticdiseases;

• Assessgiraffepopulationnumbersandconservationstatusinthecountry;

• Greaterunderstandingandmitigationofsocial,cultural,andeconomicdriversofgiraffepoachingin

thecountry;

• Conductmorerobuststudiestoexaminethegiraffepopulationstructureinkeyconservationareas

toinformconservationpolicies;

• IncreasetransboundarygiraffeconservationandmanagementinitiativeswithKenya;and,

• Identificationofpriorityconservationeffortsandcontinuationofrobustandsystematicpopulation

monitoringprogrammes.

Acknowledgements

ThisstudywasfinanciallysupportedbytheGiraffeConservationFoundation,AfricanWildlifeFoundation,

CheyenneMountainZoo,ClevelandMetroparksZoo,HogleZoo,theWoodTigerFundandUSAIDTanzania

PROTECT.

CountryProfile:UnitedRepublicofTanzania–GiraffeConservationStatusReport 9

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Map

CountryProfile:UnitedRepublicofTanzania–GiraffeConservationStatusReport 13

DistributionofMasaigiraffepopulationsinthemajorprotectedconservationareasofTanzania.