wildlife
Giraffes back in Angola’s largest national park
The giraffes were released in the national park. photo
© Casey Crafford/dpa
The reintroduction of giraffes is expected to attract more tourists to the country. But the ecosystem should also benefit.
According to the conservation organization Giraffe Conservation, Angola’s Iona National Park has 14 giraffes have been successfully introduced. The animals were caught in neighboring Namibia and, after a 36-hour flight, released on Wednesday in the national park a good 1,300 kilometers away, according to a statement.
Iona National Park is the largest protected area in Angola. The conservationists hope that the entire ecosystem will benefit from the giraffes’ relocation. Among other things, these would help to strengthen the vegetation with their selective feeding habits, as they play an important role in the dispersal of plant seeds.
Resettlement as a “Milestone”
Before the resettlement, a feasibility study by the Namibia University of Science and Technology evaluated various risk factors. Among other things, the suitability of the habitat, risks of resettlement and financial feasibility were examined. The number of giraffes in Africa has declined by around 30 percent since the 1980s, according to Giraffe Conservation. It is estimated that around 117,000 animals remain in the wild.
Angola’s State Secretary in the Environment Ministry, Abias Huongo, described the resettlement as a “milestone” for species protection in the country. In the South African country with around 37 million inhabitants, this had suffered badly from the civil war that had lasted for decades. The violence did not end until 2002 after more than 27 years.
The reintroduction of the giraffes is also expected to attract more tourists to the country. Angola’s tourism sector only developed after the end of the civil war. Angola is therefore still overshadowed by its southern neighbors Namibia and South Africa.