Protecting Kenya’s Endangered Wildlife: How you are Helping Giraffes and Hirola Survive in the Wild

Have you heard of the hirola? Found only in northeastern Kenya and southwest Somalia, the hirola is a critically endangered species of antelope. Hirola are not in zoos so you won’t see one here on grounds, but you can visit and even have a special face-to-face encounter with giraffes here at the zoo, who are neighbors to the hirola in the wild! Both of these species are currently being protected in the wild through your visit to the zoo, with a portion of your admission fee supporting the work of our friends at the Hirola Conservation Program (HCP) in Kenya.

The Hirola Conservation Program aims to save hirola in Kenya through scientific research, habitat restoration, and strengthening community-based conservation and education efforts. Like many of our partners, the team at the HCP know that there is power in community when it comes to saving wildlife, and as a result, their focus is not just on the hirola – it is on the people that live alongside them. For example, while speaking and writing in Arabic is easy for most locals along the Kenya-Somalia border, reading and writing in English is an ongoing challenge since learning how to raise and take care of livestock takes priority over a more formal education. Realizing that this makes it difficult for younger generations to become involved in alternative livelihoods like science and conservation, the HCP has created adult literacy classes for their ranger staff. By providing rangers with this training, doors will open for community members as new knowledge is shared, representing a unique opportunity towards improving citizen science. In December, rangers were also taken on a camping trip where they learned more about shelter building, wildlife tracking, and foraging. This training not only helped to build ranger skill sets, but also served to enhance team work and give the rangers the opportunity to get to know one another better.

The HCP serves as an important resource for many members of the community, and as a result, was the go-to for advice when locals began to run into trouble with giraffes. With recent draught conditions, the local communities have moved their farms closer to water ways in areas that overlap with the paths that giraffes take to drink.  This move made it impossible for giraffes to reach their water source without trampling local community’s food sources. To help reduce mounting tensions, the HCP began work to revitalize the Garissa Giraffe Sanctuary, located near communities experiencing conflict with giraffes. In 2017, the team at HCP was able to restore old watering troughs and provide new sources of water for giraffes in the area, while also creating giraffe awareness in 5 surrounding villages. Through raising awareness and working directly with members of the community, the team in Kenya hopes to generate renewed levels of enthusiasm among locals, government agencies, and the international conservation community, which in turn, will help to protect species like the hirola and giraffe for years to come.

We are amazed by how much our family in Kenya were able to accomplish in 2017, and we can’t wait to see all of the amazing things they are able to do in the new year. We’d like to thank all of our guests for supporting projects like this one through the purchase of your admission ticket here at the Houston Zoo. Two of our team members will be traveling to Kenya this year to help produce a documentary on the hirola for the HCP, so stay tuned – exciting updates are headed your way!