How focus on big five jeopardises giraffes

Beyond the veil of skyscrapers lies evidence of climate change all over the roads and the streets.

More frequent and intense droughts have threatened crops, wildlife and freshwater supplies across Kenya.

"Climate change has really changed the way we view things, including wildlife," our driver Joseph Njoroge says, gesturing outside.

"Now we can see wild animals even walking or grazing next to towns, which was not the case in past years."

He says drought has destroyed the places animals live and wreaked havoc on people’s livelihoods.

We come to a sudden halt while driving into Machakos town. A giraffe was standing right at the road, ready to cross over to the other side.

The giraffe looked lost and stranded, just like a passenger waiting for a public service vehicle to town.

"We have to stop so the animal can pass," Joseph says. We took out our cameras to make memories of what we were seeing.

Joseph, who is also going to be our tour guide, says cases of animals wandering around towns have become rampant.

"Like now, this giraffe is looking for water. There is water on the other side, so let's give it a few minutes and see if it will pass," he says.

With many people looking at the giraffe, it then decided that it would not cross. Instead, it went back and started running with its long legs.

Giraffes use their height to good advantage and browse on leaves and buds in treetops that few other animals can reach.

Its 21-inch tongue helps the giraffe to pluck tasty morsels from branches. They mostly love acacia trees.

UNDER THREAT

The trip to Taita Taveta Wildlife Conservancies Association is marked by the hot aroma of dust in the air.

The CEO of the conservancies Alfred Mwanake says the giraffe, which is the world’s tallest mammal, is uniquely adapted to reach vegetation inaccessible to other herbivores.

"Giraffes drink water when it is available, but they don’t need to drink water on a daily basis, which allows them to survive in areas with scarce water. However sometimes they have to look for water in other places," he says.

According to National Geographic, giraffes only need to drink once every several days since they get most of their water from the plants they consume.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists four main threats to this species: habitat loss, civil unrest, illegal hunting and ecological changes (climate change and habitat conversion).

Speaking at his office in Voi town, Alfred, who leads over 30 partners within the conservancy, says poachers in Taita Taveta go for giraffe meat and not only the big five animals (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino).

"Giraffes are easy to track and kill. What poachers do is they come with the motorbikes at night to the park and do the killing," he says.

"They carry torches and when they see the giraffe, they switch on the lights. This then makes the animal confused," he says.

Between August and November 2022, 29 giraffes were killed and poached for their meat and hide in Tsavo West alone

While some animals will run in the poacher's direction, others will just stand stranded.

"It is at this particular time that the poacher will remove his or her panga or machete and cut the legs of the giraffe to immobilise it," he says.

"Since the poachers work in groups, one will cut the legs while others will go for the long neck and the front limbs."

According to the Africa Wildlife Foundation, giraffe tails are highly prized by many African cultures and are used in good-luck bracelets, fly whisks and even thread for sewing or stringing beads.

"Between August and November 2022, poaching and wildlife trafficking of giraffes contributed to the decline of giraffes. During that period, 29 giraffes were killed and poached for their meat and hide in Tsavo West alone," Alfred says.

We have concentrated on the big five animals for such a long time that we forgot about the small animals. We have at least reduced the deaths of the big five, but now focus should be on the small animals

FORGOTTEN ANIMALS

The number of giraffe deaths is pegged on the carcasses they get in the conservancy while doing their daily patrols.

Alfred says during that August-November period, at least three people were arrested for poaching giraffes, but they were also responsible for the deaths of dik-diks, baboons and even gazelles.

"We have concentrated on the big five animals for such a long time that we forgot about the small animals. We have at least reduced the deaths of the big five, but now focus should be on the small animals," he says.

AWF’s latest data suggests that the giraffe is the second-most sought-after meat after the dik-dik in the Tsavo Conservation Area. 

The National Wildlife Census 2021 Report indicates that Kenya has 34,240 giraffes. Tsavo landscape alone carries 4,300 giraffes, constituting around 30 per cent of the nation’s giraffe population.

"We have low capacity to stop illegal wildlife trade. Yes, we have rangers who help with the wildlife, but what we do not have is the equipment. And most of the time, we then just rely on the Kenya Wildlife Service for some services," Alfred says.

The TTWC CEO says apart from the giraffes, other wild animals have become frustrated over time.

"Some underpasses were put so that the animals can pass but they are unaware, so sometimes you will see them veering off to the communities because they do not know where to go to," he says.

Alfred urged the community to live peacefully with animals, saying it is possible to coexist.

"We have cases of people killing the animals because they are retaliating or because they are looking for money. Instead, they should know that these animals also somehow bring revenue to the community," he says.

"If we can focus on other revenue streams, like even getting work at a construction site for our youths, then poaching would stop."

Kenya Wildlife Services has tried to tackle the crime with strict laws and regulations, but clearly more needs to be done.