RapportFondation_2026_V03 Pages LIGHT EN - Flipbook - Page 21
2025 REPORT
AFRICA
©GCF
Twiga Tracker
Tracking gira昀昀es for a sustainable future
TOTAL AMOUNT GRANTED TO DATE: € 1.819
2025 > PRESENT
Giraffes, iconic inhabitants of the African savannahs,
play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the
ecosystem. By feeding on the upper branches of acacia
trees and other characteristic savannah vegetation, they
help regulate plant growth. However, their populations
have declined significantly over recent decades, mainly
due to habitat fragmentation, poaching, and increasing
human–wildlife conflict.
To help reverse this trend, the Pairi Daiza Foundation is
working with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF)
to improve understanding and strengthen the protection of
wild giraffe populations. Since 2025, the Foundation has
supported, among other initiatives, the “Twiga Tracker”
project, now the largest GPS tracking programme for
giraffes worldwide. More than 650 tracking devices have
been deployed across four giraffe species in 17 African
countries. The data collected helps researchers map
threats, identify critical habitats and guide conservation
action.
©GCF
RECENT PROJECT RESULTS:
IN ADDITION TO FIELDWORK, THE GCF HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO A MAJOR
SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGH. IN AUGUST 2025, THE IUCN OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED FOUR
DISTINCT GIRAFFE SPECIES. BASED ON GENETIC, MORPHOLOGICAL, AND GEOGRAPHICAL
DATA, THIS REVISION FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE THREATS
FACING GIRAFFES AND ENABLES MORE TARGETED CONSERVATION ACTIONS.
21
