After the government in Niger put forth the first national conservation strategy in Africa to protect the giraffes from extinction due to poaching, the population of the endangered animals rose back up by more than 11% each year.
Niger saw one of the most critical declines in its giraffe population, with only 49 giraffes recorded in 1996. But the number increased to over 600 in just two and a half decades, leading to one of the biggest and most unlikely conservation success stories.
Conservationists have also determined that moving a second population of the West African giraffes to the center of the country in Gadabedji would further help increase the population of the species. The 2.5 million uninhabited acres of land hosted the giraffe’s ancestors 50 years ago, and over the years has been labeled a biosphere reserve.
