![]() ![]() This indicated that they had to roam farther to evade poachers and obtain necessary resources, like food and water. Closer to towns, adult female giraffes had lower survival and their home ranges were larger in size. We discovered that female giraffes living near traditional homesteads had weaker social relationships, but this did not reduce their survival. They stayed far from towns but actually preferred to be closer to traditional homesteads. Most giraffes tended to avoid human areas altogether, however giraffe mothers didn’t always. One of the most promising results from our research is that some human lifestyles seem to be more compatible with giraffe conservation. This means that conservation of giraffes requires the safeguarding of all the other animals in the savanna. However, the seasonal presence of migratory wildebeests and zebras attracted predation away from giraffe calves. In contrast to adult giraffes, survival of calves was lower inside protected areas where predator densities are highest. Lower survival rates of adult females outside protected areas resulted in population declines. Survival of breeding females in long-lived species like giraffes is absolutely critical to sustain populations. These areas also had higher giraffe population densities than outside the protected zones. For instance, the survival rates of giraffes in community conservation areas adjacent to national parks improved. We also learned that community-based conservation is helping giraffes. We found that the probability of adult female giraffe survival was higher in protected areas than less-protected areas where poaching for bushmeat markets was prevalent. Thus, our study area is representative of the diversity of threats and conservation opportunities facing giraffes. Giraffe habitat throughout Africa has become similarly fragmented. The giraffe’s habitat outside the parks is affected by human activities which include farming, charcoal making and livestock. The entire area has no fences so giraffes can roam freely around their large home ranges, which average about 130 hectares. Our study area includes two national parks, a large cattle and ecotourism ranch, two community-managed wildlife areas as well as unprotected lands with towns and traditional homesteads. Giraffes and people: a future in the balance Our findings help wildlife authorities understand where and why giraffe numbers are stable, increasing or declining. They were even a benefit to mothers with small calves. These results were not surprising, but we were encouraged to also discover that traditional homesteads are compatible with giraffe conservation. ![]() Adult female survival was higher within national parks and community-based conservation areas, away from towns which brought them closer to farming and poaching. We revealed that survival of giraffes is influenced by how close they live to towns. The Tarangire ecosystem features two distinctive types of human settlements: towns – whose inhabitants include farmers and bushmeat poachers – and small, traditional homesteads, inhabited by members of the livestock-keeping Maasai community. To date we’ve published more than 10 original studies about giraffe survival, movements and behaviour in relation to human disturbances – specifically human settlements. It has become one of the biggest studies of a large mammal, with nearly 3,000 individuals identified in a vast, 4,500-km2 area of the Tarangire ecosystem in Tanzania. The Masai Giraffe Project is a partnership between the Wild Nature Institute, the University of Zurich, Pennsylvania State University and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute. Although the giraffe is still considered a single species, genetic information suggests there may be three species with Masai giraffes a separate species. In 2011, my colleagues and I launched the Masai Giraffe Project to learn what helps and what harms giraffes, and how people and giraffes can thrive together. Giraffes can therefore be easily identified from photographs without any need for dangerous captures. Each animal has a unique and unchanging spot pattern for its entire life, like a human thumbprint. Fortunately, giraffes are a good study species for this type of research. ![]()
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