MADI OKOLLO, Uganda — The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has begun translocating Nubian giraffes from Murchison Falls National Park to Ajai Wildlife Reserve in a conservation effort aimed at restoring the species to its historic range, enhancing biodiversity and boosting tourism in northwestern Uganda.
The exercise, which started on Tuesday, saw the first three Nubian giraffes successfully relocated and released into the reserve. The animals are part of a planned translocation of 12 giraffes over the coming days.
According to UWA, the giraffes will join other wildlife already reintroduced to Ajai Wildlife Reserve, including rhinos, buffaloes, zebras and other herbivores, as part of broader efforts to restore the reserve’s ecosystem.
“Happening now! Three giraffes have so far been released into Ajai Wildlife Reserve, adding to the reserve’s growing wildlife population that includes rhinos, buffaloes, zebras, and other herbivores,” UWA said in a statement shared on X.
Dr. Atimnedi Patrick, Assistant Commissioner for Veterinary Services and head of the translocation exercise, said the initiative seeks to increase the Nubian giraffe population, enhance biodiversity and diversify tourism opportunities in the reserve.
Research dating back to the early 1900s identified Ajai Wildlife Reserve as suitable habitat for giraffes due to its abundance of acacia vegetation, which provides an important food source while allowing the animals to play a natural role in managing vegetation.
Uganda is home to the world’s largest remaining wild population of Nubian giraffes, making conservation of the endangered subspecies a national and global priority.
According to UWA, the translocation is guided by the authority’s Giraffe Conservation Strategy and follows the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Guidelines for Conservation Translocations, which require scientific research, habitat suitability assessments, disease risk analysis, stakeholder engagement and post-release monitoring to improve the chances of long-term success.
The exercise is being implemented with technical support from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, which has provided training and capacity building for UWA staff, including specialised training in Namibia.
This is not Uganda’s first giraffe translocation. In 2015, UWA moved 15 Nubian giraffes—four males and 11 females—from Murchison Falls Conservation Area to Lake Mburo National Park. Similar conservation translocations have since been carried out to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre.
The latest relocation is also intended to reduce pressure on the growing giraffe population in Murchison Falls National Park while establishing another viable breeding population elsewhere in the country.
Ajai Wildlife Reserve, covering approximately 166 square kilometres in Madi Okollo District, was once known for its population of northern white rhinos before poaching drove the species to local extinction in the 1980s. In recent years, UWA has embarked on restoring the reserve’s wildlife through the reintroduction of several species as part of plans to revive the protected area as a tourism destination.
Officials say the return of giraffes to Ajai is expected to strengthen the reserve’s ecological value while creating new opportunities for wildlife tourism and conservation in the West Nile sub-region.