Conservation of the Rothschild’s Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) and a case study on the local acceptance in Kigio Wildlife Conservancy

The thesis focuses on the conservation of the Rothschild’s giraffe, sometimes also called Ugandan or Baringo giraffe. As the previous elucidation shows, the Rothschild’s giraffe might very well be its own species and therefore should be treated as such in evaluating its conservation status. In total, very little is known about how the distinguishing characteristics of each subspecies beyond the genetic evidence of Brown et al. (2007) and the obvious different pelage patterns. Various studies from diverse fields address the Rothschild’s giraffe, but there is no summary of this information. To evaluate the differences between the subspecies and to contribute to the decision if the Rothschild’s is its one species, it is very important to summarize and analyse the present-day research. Thus, the first chapter of the thesis will present a literature review, where it focuses on the different fields of research including the early giraffe taxonomy, genetic studies, anatomy, reproduction, diseases, social behaviour and communication and conservation. The second chapter will address one population of Rothschild’s giraffe in western Kenya that is found in Kigio Wildlife Conservancy. It will also look at their development since their introduction, the impact that the giraffe have had on the conservancy, the threats the population is facing and the research conducted in the conservancy. Because the success of a conservancy and its conservation depends a lot on the acceptance and the support of the local community.

Publish DateSeptember 21, 2023
Last UpdatedSeptember 21, 2023
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