Bour-Algi Giraffe Sanctuary

The Bour-Algi Giraffe Sanctuary is a community-based conservation and natural resource management initiative. The sanctuary is located in the North Eastern Province of Kenya, in the area surrounding the village of Bour-Algi, 5 km south of Garissa town. The sanctuary covers an area of around 125 km² and borders the Tana River to the south-west. Its name stems from the large presence of giraffes attracted by the abundant acacia trees. Estimates state almost 1000 giraffes living in the outskirts of the Bour-Algi village (1).

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 Kenyan 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 [http://www.aridland.go.ke/index.php] ), the community has been seeking formal status for its conservancy.

Wildlife

The most common herbivores in the sanctuary are giraffe and gerenuk. Other herbivores sighted in the area are Kirk’s dik-dik, lesser kudu, warthog and waterbuck, albeit very rare (1).

Resources

# Githuru, M. et al. (2007) [http://www.terranuova.info/file_download/58 Wild Herbivores in Bour-Algi Giraffe Sanctuary, Kenya: Abundance, habitat use and interactions with humans] . National Museums of Kenya.
* Antipa, R. S, Ali, M. H. and Hussein, A. A. (2007) [http://www.terranuova.info/file_download/48 Assessment of the Potential of Eco/Cultural Tourism as Viable Enterprises in Southern Garissa, Ijara and Lamu Districts: A Community Conservation and Enterprise Support Initiative] . National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya.

External links

* [http://www.terranuova.org Homepage of Terra Nuova]
* [http://www.terranuova.info/progetti/prog_risorse_kenia Transboundary Environmental Project (TEP) by Terra Nuova]
* [http://www.aridland.go.ke/index.php Arid Lands Resource Management Project by the Office of the President of Kenya]
* [http://www.museums.or.ke/ National Museums of Kenya]
* [http://www.nema.go.ke/about.html National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya] .
* [http://www.kws.org/ Kenyan Wildlife Service]