Uganda makes history with birth of baby giraffe after translocating a herd

One baby.

But one important — and very tall — baby.

This baby is proof that conservation can work.

“First baby Giraffe born in Mburo National Park, it has been a long wait since 2015,” the Uganda Wildlife Authority recently announced. “The translocation of Giraffes to Lake Mburo has started yielding fruits.”

Almost three years ago, 15 Rothschild’s giraffes — a species quickly disappearing from the planet  — were on the move.

The group was scooped up in Murchison Falls National Park in northern Uganda to be moved to Lake Mburo in western Uganda.

The purpose of translocating these giraffes is to ensure survival of this endangered species,” the authority said in advance of the move. “The Rothschild’s Giraffes are estimated to be not more than 1,600 in the world, 700 in captivity around the world and about 800 can be found in the wild with the biggest population in Uganda.”

More translocations were to follow. And they did. By truck and boat.

Like this group of 20 which were moved across the Nile in 2016 from northern banks of Murchison Falls National Park to its southern banks.

It was an incredible sight.

Giraffe Conservation Foundation/Facebook

And in 2017, another 19 were moved.

“The overall aim of the translocation project is to establish a viable population of free-ranging Rothschild (Nubian) giraffe in the southern bank of River Nile in Murchison Falls National Park,” the authority said last year.

Part of the move of 13 female and 6 male giraffes in Murchison Falls National Park, 2017. Photo: Uganda Wildlife Authority.

So, fare well new baby giraffe.

You have set an incredible precedent in Uganda.

Photos Uganda Wildlife Authority

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Recovering newspaper reporter.

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