Giraffes get a new home in Uganda to escape oil drilling

What the report says

The New York Post reported that Ugandan wildlife officials have begun moving endangered Nubian giraffes from Murchison Falls National Park to Ajai Wildlife Reserve as conservation pressures grow around oil development in the park. Rangers and veterinarians started the effort on Tuesday, with 12 giraffes to be transported about 106 kilometers, or 65 miles, to the reserve over a project expected to take several days.

According to the report, Uganda Wildlife Authority assistant commissioner for veterinary services Patrick Atimnedi said the new population is meant to reduce risk to the species if its current habitat is damaged. The Post reported that an estimated 40% of Uganda’s oil deposits are in the Murchison Falls area and inside the park, where drilling activity and heavy equipment movement have increased. TotalEnergies began drilling in the Tilenga project area in June 2023, the article said.

Ajai Wildlife Reserve, described as a 166-square-kilometer protected area, is being restored after its wildlife was depleted by poaching and insecurity in the early 1980s. The giraffe move is part of a broader reintroduction effort that also includes southern white rhinos, buffalo, zebras and Uganda kobs. Reserve officials cited fencing, more rangers and community education as part of anti-poaching and conservation measures.

The development matters because Nubian giraffes are under conservation concern, and Uganda is trying to balance wildlife protection, tourism and oil production. The Post reported that officials hope the Ajai population will broaden the giraffes’ range while also supporting local tourism revenue in Madi Okollo district.