Meet the scientist
founder and director, Hirola Conservation Programme Trying to protect one of the world’s rarest large mammals is no easy task. Dr Abdullahi Ali is doing it in an area that is on the verge of being a war zone.
Protecting hirolas in an area that is on the verge of being a war zone
Terrorists linked to the group Al-Shabaab are a frequent presence along the Kenya-Somalia border where hirolas – medium-sized antelopes with tan-coloured coats and distinctive long, ringed and freakishly erect horns – find their last refuge. The entire population of this species, whose range was only ever some 40,000km2 of northern Kenya and southern Somalia, is now thought to number less than 250.
“We work in a volatile area, so we check for security updates on a daily basis, in the same way you will check for weather updates before you leave your house in the morning,” Ali says. If necessary, he adds, they will cancel work they had intended to carry out or get police protection. “We never let team members go out when there is a security alert.”
It’s not just hirolas that are under pressure in the area. African elephants have been poached to almost local extinction, and this has contributed to the antelope’s decline – without mega-herbivores, the hirola’s grassland habitat has reverted to woodland.
Also threatened are reticulated giraffes – now accepted by some scientists, if not the IUCN, as one of four giraffe species – which are exploited as bushmeat. “Giraffes are the primary source of food for militants along the Kenya-Somalia border,” Ali says.
Giraffes are also at risk from conflict with farmers. Land is overgrazed by sheep, goats and camels, and humans compete with them for resources near rivers, where the best arable land is. “Around the Tana River, giraffes destroy crops such as mangos,” Ali explains. “Reportedly, giraffes will die to consume mango flowers, and mango fruits are the most profitable crop for farmers.”
In the coming year, Ali hopes he can start radio-collaring giraffes to get some data on where the giraffes live and feed – information on all wildlife in the area is lacking because many researchers do not or simply cannot work there. He’s already had some experience of darting giraffes (to treat ones injured in snares), so he knows what to expect.
“It is normally possible to approach close enough to dart without too much difficulty,” Ali says. “Roughly 50m is fine, though sometimes it might be necessary to follow them into an area that’s better for darting.”
Data from the radio collars will be used to work out the routes the giraffes take within their habitat and how they select resources. “All this will be key in determining giraffe needs and how they respond to changes in land use.”
Ultimately, Ali hopes his conservation efforts will pay off by making this relatively unknown area attractive to tourists – as well as the hirolas and giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, painted wolves and striped hyenas are also found here. This, of course, is also dependent on the militant presence disappearing. James Fair
We operate in a volatile area. If necessary, we will cancel planned work or get police protection.