Thanks to conservation efforts in the park, members of our Wildlife team, Kim and Dave, recently traveled to Namibia to assist the Giraffe Conservation Foundation with a photographic survey of giraffe in the region. Photo surveys allow researchers to get an idea of the overall population in the study area, as well as how the giraffe are moving, what resources are available to them and what the group dynamics are. All this information contributes to future conservation plans, such as relocation projects to help reestablish giraffe to their historical range.
In addition to photographing and IDing giraffe, they were also recording data on group sizes and individuals (which sometimes changed from day to day), GPS location, animal behavior, DNA sampling and participated in a water study in conjunction with Namibia University of Science and Technology.
Read on to hear more about Kim and Dave’s experiences on the trip.
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