By Natalie Blachford | Project Leader
HOW BORN FREE CELEBRATED WORLD GIRAFFE DAY
Aided by the generous support of GlobalGiving donors, Born Free’s Saving Meru’s Giants programme is going from strength to strength, protecting rare giraffes and elephants in Kenya and raising awareness amongst local communities.
Born Free’s project is now 21 months old and, appropriately, on 21 June the team celebrated World Giraffe Day with a unique initiative to encourage young people in Meru to care for the wild. Sadly, over the last 30 years, reticulated giraffes have declined by 56% in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, so Meru’s population of approximately 1,400 reticulated giraffes represents a significant stronghold for the sub-species.
On World Giraffe Day, Born Free invited 100 children and four teachers from two local primary schools – Rapsu and Waki Wario – to find out more about Meru’s giraffes. After an opportunity to create wildlife art, the young, upcoming conservationists were taken on an ecological trip to Meru National Park to observe wild giraffe. They were excited to learn about the giraffes and their habitat as Born Free staff led them through the park, showing the students various plant and animal species important to giraffes.
“The children were thrilled to see the giraffes up close and learn about their behaviour and feeding habits,” explained Born Free’s Saving Meru’s Giants Manager Newton. “We are inspiring young people to take action and make a difference to protecting wildlife. By engaging the young generation, we can help ensure that the future of giraffe conservation is in safe hands. The trip was not only educational but also fun-filled. The children left with a greater appreciation for the environment and the importance of preserving it for future generations.”
Meanwhile, Born Free’s ‘Twiga* Team’, which patrols Meru National Park, has removed 908 deadly wire snares in the last year. The team also closely monitors the giraffe population, adding to Born Free’s ID database whenever a new individual is seen, and initiating community-led solutions to protect the giraffes.
*Swahili for giraffe
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