In September, we stumbled upon a rare opportunity to capture Kaoko, one of the elusive giraffe, as she and her fellow herd members were on the move. As we followed them closely, we noticed that giraffe are not always easy to predict, as they usually go about their business at a leisurely pace along riverbeds, but at times, they appear to have a clear goal in mind. Despite the challenge of getting a clear shot of Kaoko as she transitioned from an open sandy Hoarusib riverbed to a densely vegetated one, we persisted with patience and intuition, until we finally caught up to the herd. Our efforts paid off, as we were able to witness Kaoko, along with eight other majestic giraffe, embarking on their journey to the Hoarusib plains, where they would spend the night grazing and resting in proximity to our camp.
About Giraffe Conservation Foundation
Every donation supports our work with local and international partners, affecting over 100 million acres of giraffe habitat.
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is the only NGO in the world that concentrates solely on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild throughout Africa. We are dedicated to securing a future for all giraffe populations in the wild.
Our conservation story started in Namibia, where we have studied several giraffe populations for over two decades now. Our findings have directly impacted the global understanding of giraffe and how best to save them. It was the GCF team that first realized that there are four different species of giraffe (and not only one as previously thought). Our pioneering work in Africa also led to global recognition of giraffe’s silent extinction on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
However, our work is not done—there is still so much to learn. It is only through better understanding that we can develop targeted, sustainable conservation strategies with the local people who share their space with wildlife to secure the long-term future of giraffe in Africa.
We envision a world where all giraffe can live wild and free within their historical ranges or habitats throughout Africa and are protected by the people around them.
Join us on our journey and help save giraffe today, before it’s too late tomorrow.
