Giraffes bring peace to Kenyan communities once at odds

KENYA – On a vast farm in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, a veterinarian carefully takes aim before shooting a tranquilliser dart, sending another giraffe sinking slowly to the ground before it is roped and blindfolded.

It is the first stage of a delicate operation by the Kenya Wildlife Service to move a group of the endangered animals to a conservancy about 140km to the east.

The subdued giraffe is kept at the farm in Sergoit with seven others for an acclimatisation period of about 10 days, before being transported to their new home.

The Rothschild’s giraffes, a distinct subspecies, are being resettled in Ruko Conservancy in Baringo County as part of a long-running initiative to ease communal tensions.

While the East African nation is renowned for its spectacular wildlife, its northern counties such as Baringo are more often in the news for banditry and ethnic clashes.

The rival Pokot and Ilchamus communities in Baringo had been at odds for decades, their feuds sometimes escalating into armed conflict.

In the mid-2000s, Pokot and Ilchamus elders took matters into their hands, launching an initiative to resettle the Rothschild’s or Nubian giraffes into Ruko Conservancy, about 280km north of the capital Nairobi.

The goal was twofold: reintroduce an endangered species to a region it had deserted, and restore peace to the two communities.

The elders hoped the world’s tallest mammals would attract tourists and income, quelling tensions in the neglected region by providing employment in an area where many young people – like elsewhere in Kenya – struggle to find jobs.

Reserve manager Rebby Sebei, 34, says it seems to have worked.

“Twenty years ago, Pokot and Ilchamus had a conflict that erupted because of livestock theft. It resulted in loss of life, loss of livestock and people moving away from their homeland,” she adds.

“This place became deserted – where we are now was a battleground for the bandits.”

But now, she says, the gentle creatures are helping to “ensure there is peace between the two communities”.

Giraffes have seen a dramatic decline in numbers in Kenya in recent decades, as a result of poaching and human encroachment on their habitats.

As the Sergoit giraffes – securely trussed in the back of trucks – made their way slowly towards the reserve, people from the Pokot and Ilchamus communities held welcome celebrations.

Sixteen hours after their departure from the farm, having navigated hazardous bridges and low-hanging electrical wires, the giraffes finally arrived at their new home.

The group was to be acclimatised in a small pen before being released into the Ruko reserve, now home to nearly 20 giraffes, both Rothschild’s and Masai.

As people sang and danced in celebration while awaiting the new arrivals, Mr Douglas Longomo, a 27-year-old farmer, says he believes his Pokot community has changed.

“It took time to understand that the conservancy is important to bring people together,” he adds.

Many could not see the point of ending the clashes that have scarred the area for decades, he says.

“Now, we are living as one community, we can move freely without fear.”

Mr Longomo’s views were echoed by Mr James Parkitore, 28, from the Ilchamus community.

“I think (the conflict) is over now because we are interacting,” he says. “I hope those giraffes will (create) great jobs for the communities.”

Ms Sebei adds a note of caution, however, saying that while an increase in tourism helped, there are some lingering disputes between the ethnic groups.

But, she says, “there is peace, and we need to bring more giraffes”. AFP