Adopt a Maasai Giraffe in Kenya

Help Save Kenya's Maasai Giraffes

Join a global community of contributors to help save one of Kenya's iconic, keystone species—now endangered: the Maasai giraffe. The loftiest among browsers, Maasai giraffes adorn African Conservation Centre's (ACC & ACC-US) logos for the special role they play in the East African ecosystem. Their graceful long-necks and excellent vision allow the giraffes to see long distances and spot predators from a distance, serving as an early warning system to many other animals. 

Support ACC’s Critical Research Project

Although Maasai giraffes became endangered as of July 2019, ACC—our sister organization in Kenya—is leading the way in conserving this majestic animal. Taking heart from a hopeful resurgence in Amboseli, ACC and its partners are conducting innovative research that will allow scientists to track Maasai giraffes by satellite through solar-powered tracking units placed on the giraffes' ossicones (horns).

The collected data will provide ACC and its partners with the first-ever picture of detailed movement of Maasai giraffes, vital for their conservation. The research will allow us to understand the species' movements and map the minimum viable area needed for Amboseli populations. Through data-driven planning, we can then mitigate the impacts of bush-meat poaching and infrastructure development, and protect the giraffes' habitat along with that of many other species in Amboseli's rich ecosystem.

Help Us Reach Our Goal of $30,000 

All donations will help us reach our goal of $30,000. For gifts in the amount of $100 or more, non-anonymous donors will be recognized on our website and will receive a giraffe adoption certificate for their contribution. For gifts of $1000 or more, donors will receive website recognition, as well as a small original giraffe-themed painting by Deborah Ross, a faculty member at the School of Visual Arts in NYC and one of America's leading wildlife artists.

— HOW YOUR CONTRIBUTION HELPS —

$120 LEVEL

1 Pair of Binoculars or GPS Unit for Community Game Scouts

$500

Fuel & Maintenance for 1 Project Vehicle

$1,200

8 Phones for Community Game Scout's Data Collection

$1,500

GPS Iridium Collar & UHF Telemetry Beacon

$6,000

Six-Month Salary of 1 Resource Assessor

$13,000

1 Used Vehicle for Research Team

A Wildlife Icon — Now Endangered

Like many of Africa’s charismatic species, giraffes are declining rapidly due to climate change, land pressures, displacement, and poaching. Sadly, they are now extinct in seven African countries. The Maasai giraffe, one of the most iconic subspecies commonly found in Kenya’s southern rangelands, has declined by 52% since the 1970s with its population plunging from 73,000 to 27,000 in three decades. In 2019 it was added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Endangered Species list.

A Hopeful Resurgence & Pioneering Conservation

In Amboseli, giraffe numbers have climbed from 2,000 to 6,000 in just fifteen years thanks to tourism which supplements community livestock income and the 350 community rangers who protect wildlife from being slaughtered for bushmeat. Amboseli’s Maasai giraffe population is now the largest in East Africa. Read about Amboseli's success story.

However, the Maasai (and all) giraffes need the same urgent protection turning the tides for elephants whose populations are rebounding after the ivory trade closure. In addition to the bushmeat trade, these giraffes now face a far more serious threat—the subdivision of open lands surrounding parks into private allotments, particularly in Amboseli.

Fortunately, the Maasai plan to keep the land open for the seasonal movement of their livestock as well as wildlife conservancies. But which lands? So little is known about giraffe movements that ACC, in collaboration with the Maasai land associations, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the Kenya Wildlife Service and conservation partners, is collaring the Maasai giraffes in this pioneering research project to uncover their mysteries and provide vital data for their conservation. 

Donations are made to African Conservation Centre-US, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 46-3104438. Your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law.