Our blog & news: Get involved to help wildlife

 
 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." 
Margaret Mead, American anthropologist, 1901-1978
 


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  1. Giraffe conservation in Kenya

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    There’s good news for giraffe in Kenya.

    The Giraffe Conservation Foundation reports that they have made efforts to make sure that giraffe numbers in Kenya receive better protection. 

    The charity has given financial support to the Kenya Wildlife Service and other conservation partners to undertake aerial surveys in northern Kenya.

    And good news!  The surveys are showing a 30% increase in reticulated giraffe numbers on communal land and private conservancies in the last 6 years.

    Meantime, in the south of Kenya, the charity has held the first ever Masai Giraffe Working Group meeting to bring conservation partners together with the Kenya Wildlife Service.  The aim was to identify current threats to Masai giraffe and pinpoint measures to protect them.

    And there’s more – the charity’s year long surveys in Mwea National Reserve and Ruma National Park show there are double the numbers of Nubian giraffe than previously thought, so this is a great boost to Nubian giraffe there.

    There are renewed efforts to update and complete a National Recovery and Action Plan for giraffe in Kenya, held over a two day workshop.  The plan will be launched later this year.

    Don’t forget – a date for your diary – the 21st June is World Giraffe Day.  Why not adopt a giraffe as a gift for someone or for yourself?

    Click here for wildlife holiday ideas in Kenya listed on Responsible Travel

     Click here for wildlife holiday ideas in Kenya listed on Responsible Travel

     

  2. Calling all giraffe lovers around the world – giraffes need your voice!

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    Giraffes are in trouble.  The giraffe population is already down between 36 to 40%.

    For the first time ever, 5 African countries are proposing to add the giraffe to the list of protected species.  This would really make a difference.

    How you can help giraffes with a click

    There’s a petition calling on CITES to launch and fund an Africa-wide Giraffe Action Plan.  The Plan would:

    • Recover giraffe populations
    • Protect giraffe habitats
    • Support local communities living alongside giraffes

    The petition can be found at Avaaz.org.  Avaaz.org is a world-wide community with nearly 50 million members.  It has petitions you can set up and sign to give your support to proposed changes or messages about causes you care about and want to help

    Please sign this petition to help giraffes today!

    When you go through to Avaaz and the petition, there’s a picture of someone called Tess and a dead giraffe, just to warn you. 

    Avaaz say that Tess killed the giraffe for fun. She's certainly got a big smile on her face. There are no words to describe how I feel about people who do this.

    Why this petition to help giraffes now?

    Very shortly, countries from across the world will meet for a crucial global wildlife summit.

    Back in January 2019, 57 proposals to amend the list of species subject to CITES regulations were submitted by 90 countries for consideration.   This consideration will take place from 23 May to 3 June 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, at the 18th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

    (I can’t help feeling that if they spent less time making up titles like that, and more on protecting wildlife, we might make more progress.)

    So how could this CITES meeting affect giraffes?

    For the first time ever, five African countries have proposed adding giraffes to the list of protected species.

    You can see the species here that the meeting will consider, and find out about the proposal to protect giraffes here

    Sign the Petition at Avaaz.org now,

    Then please share the petition widely to help make the senseless killing of this giraffe into a new direction for giraffes.

     

     

  3. Petition to help African wildlife and people from the African Wildlife Foundation

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    Please, please take a look at this petition! 

    The African Wildlife Foundation sent an email to say that the social distancing we are all doing has consequences for lions, elephants and other species in Africa’s 8,400 protected areas.

    Please sign and share - Thank you


    What has happened with the breakout of COVID-19 and social distancing?

    Well, tourism has plummeted.  As a result, so has the revenue the safari industry receives.  The industry budgets revenue to dedicate to wildlife protection and protected areas management.

    Wildlife and the people who protect it – rangers and community members who are employed in tourism and related businesses – will pay the price of this decline.

    Please, please sign this petition and show support for Africa’s critical areas.  They are home to endangered species and they also drive economies that support wildlife.

    By signing this petition, the African Wildlife Foundation says that you are on the side of:

    • Africa’s already threatened species who rely on protected areas for safe habitat
    • The health of some of the most biodiverse habitats in the world, which are found in protected areas
    • Local people who rely on sustainable nature tourism for a living

    Please sign and share - Thank you
    Please sign this petition today.
    and give African wildlife a voice

    Visit the African Wildlife Foundation's website here

     to find out more about the work they are doing

    and how you can help

  4. Please see this video from Gravitas - how nature is reclaiming its spaces due to the Coronavirus

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    Sometimes you see something on the internet or on television that really hits you hard and makes a point extremely well.

    I saw this video, this afternoon, and I wanted to share it with you.  Please share it with everyone you can.

    The ultimate message is that we SHARE this planet.  It demonstrates how dominant the human race has become - and how selfish.   I am not going to tell you anymore about it - please just watch it for yourself.   Here it is:



    Thank you, Gravitas.

    Please vow to make a difference today. 
    Find out how to reduce your impact on the earth's resources here.

     

     

     

     

  5. African Wildlife Foundation gives $25 million to help wildlife and wildlife habitats in Africa

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    The African Wildlife Foundation will invest $25 million over the next 4 years to support the work being done by local communities and African governments to protect wild lands and wildlife in Africa.

    The pledge was made at the recent Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) conference in London.  AWF’s President Kaddu Sebunya said that poaching and illegal trade in wildlife poses an acute threat to Africa’s rich heritage of natural wealth.

    Kaddu says that there is some recovery and stabilization of some vital wildlife populations.   AFW has invested $13.1 million to tackle the illegal wildlife trade in Africa and also a further $5.5 million with public-sector partners.   The total of $18.6 million has been used to:

    • Support anti-poaching efforts on the ground
    • Strengthen prosecutorial and judiciary processes
    • Put sniffer dogs in critical transit points
    • Campaign to stop demand in Asia

    As a result:

    • 10 out of the 14 populations of elephants the funding has been targeting are increasing or are stable.
    • All rhino populations and 7 out of 9 carnivore populations that AWF supports are increasing or are stable
    • Prosecutors are building stronger case;  judges are delivery stronger sentences for wildlife crimes
    • Sniffer dogs have made over 250 finds

    And now this most recent pledge will support programmes putting the priorities in place that came out of the London IWT conference:

    • To build African leadership and ownership of the illegal wildlife trade in Africa
    • Protect habitats and key populations of rhinos, elephants, great apes, large carnivores and giraffes
    • Enhance detection of wildlife crimes and strengthen the ability to prosecute and judge, putting criminals behind bars.

    The belief is that Africa must own and drive the illegal wildlife trade work.  The London conference will help strengthen partnerships across borders to fight the illegal wildlife trade in an effective way.

    Four key elements are crucial to give Africa’s wildlife a chance, according to AWF Chief Scientist and VP of Species Protection, Dr Philip Muruthi, and they are:

    1. Keep wildlife safe from poachers
    2. Make wildlife products difficult to move around
    3. Actively involve key local players
    4. Dampen the demand for wildlife products

    Visit the African Wildlife Foundation