Wildlife translocation is a conservation management strategy that has been employed to bolster many diminishing wild animal populations. Giraffe translocations are currently being conducted in Africa, but the consequences of such remain largely unknown. In Namibia, translocations are conducted to re-establish locally extirpated populations or to recover vulnerable ones in and around communal conservancies. This study analyzed the movement patterns of six Angolan giraffes in Namibia post-translocation in three regions. Four of the six giraffes appeared to establish home ranges, and no giraffes exhibited homing behavior, indicating translocation success. The two giraffes that did not appear to establish home ranges exhibited long-distance roaming throughout their observation periods. The home range sizes were highly variable between regions. Translocation success may be achieved by following the metrics implemented in this study, with careful attention to selecting suitable release sites. Based on this work, I have developed several recommendations regarding standardization of key term definitions and clarification of translocation methods for conservation managers and other researchers studying translocation in large herbivores.
