Tanzania issues action plan to promote giraffe research, conservation
Tanzania has developed a five-year National Giraffe Conservation Action Plan to enhance giraffe research and conservation in the East African nation.
The 2020-2024 action plan was aimed at improving knowledge on the ecology of the giraffe, including its abundance, distribution, the pattern of habitat use, and foraging preference for better conservation and management.
The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) said the action plan will also focus on the health of other animals, including physiology, diseases, and their impact on the survival of giraffe for better conservation and management.
The statement said the conservation of giraffe in Tanzania was very crucial as the animal was very important in the country in many ways, including its role as a symbol of the country’s natural and national heritage.
“Additionally, giraffe is an important species for tourism promotion,” said the statement, explaining that giraffe adds significant values in the tourism sector as a flagship species that attracts international tourists.
According to TAWIRI, the giraffe population in Tanzania has declined in the past 30 years owing to human activities such as illegal hunting, habitat loss, and diseases.