Bour-Algi Giraffe Sanctuary - History

History

In the early 1990s, in the wake of the collapse of the Republic of Somalia, the village of Bour-Algi began receiving an influx of wildlife, particularly giraffes. Wildlife that had been persecuted and poached in the areas further to the east, towards the border with Somalia, took living year-round in the bush land around the village, mingling freely with the resident Bour-Algi herdsmen and their livestock.

In 1995, a group of volunteers from the Bour-Algi village initiated a self-help group to protect and preserve the wildlife present in the area. They embarked on various activities, including regular wildlife patrols and desnaring sweeps. As more and more villagers joined the conservation effort, the group’s action expanded to cover a broader area. In 2000, the local authorities of the Garissa District recognized the area as a giraffe sanctuary and began supporting the community’s activities. The Kenya Wildlife Service followed suit and appointed an Honorary Warden to support the initiative.

With support of Terra Nuova and the Arid Lands Resource Management Project (ALRMP ), the community has been seeking formal status for its conservancy.

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