Question 1

How Local Leadership is Reviving Vanishing Species

Accepted Answer

You know about the rhinos and elephants facing extinction, but have you heard about the giraffe&#8217;s silent disappearance? Even more endangered is the graceful hirola, a magnificent antelope down to fewer than 500 animals, found only on the Kenya–Somalia border.
Enter Dr. Abdullahi Ali. This episode tells the story of how his nomadic childhood shaped his career, leading him to earn a Ph.D. in ecology and establish the Hirola Conservation Program and the Somali Giraffe Project. These are not typical conservation groups; they are dynamic, community-led initiatives focused on rewriting the rules of coexistence.

Ali’s success lies in rooting conservation in local knowledge. His work ranges from restoring vital grasslands (once maintained by elephants before they were poached) to innovative solutions like helping farmers replace conflict-causing mango trees with lime trees to protect giraffes. This approach shows a powerful truth: when people are part of the solution, everyone flourishes.

Question 2

Hirola Breeding & Re-wilding Program

Accepted Answer

Background & History
The Ishaqbini Hirola Sanctuary was established in 2013 as a critical conservation stronghold for the critically endangered hirola (Beatragus hunteri). With fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the wild, the sanctuary was created to protect a genetically viable population through a dedicated breeding and rewilding initiative. The founding population consisted of 48 hirola, and through sustained conservation efforts, the population has since grown to an estimated 120 individuals—a significant milestone in the species&#8217; recovery.
Population Monitoring
We conduct regular monitoring of the hirola population in the sanctuary while recording key metrics such as birth rates, survival, and overall health that we analyze to assess growth trends and inform future breeding strategies. This systematic approach helps maintain a robust and genetically diverse population.
Re-introduction ecology and pre-release plan
We conduct reintroductions of the critically endangered hirola to restore viable populations in its native range. We select habitats with adequate forage availability while minimizing livestock competition. We also prioritize genetic management due to the species&#8217; small population, carefully selecting founder individuals to maintain diversity. Additionally, we conduct behavioural research to assess anti-predator responses in sanctuary-bred hirola, exposing them to predator cues and human disturbances to evaluate their threat recognition. We use these findings to develop pre-release conditions that will enhance released hirola survival skills. We monitor released individuals long-term to track survival, reproduction, and habitat use.
Habitat & Fence Impact Assessment
We monitor the sanctuary’s perimeter fencing to understand its ecological effects on hirola movement, vegetation, and wildlife interactions. Key assessments include:

Vegetation changes: We compare browse availability and habitat quality inside and outside the sanctuary.
Wildlife interactions: We document how fencing influences predator-prey dynamics and the movement of other species, such as elephants and lions.

Release & Post-Release Strategy
To maintain a sustainable hirola population in the sanctuary considering its carrying capacity, select individuals are strategically reintroduced into their native habitat over years. The release strategy has been developed in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) among other partners, with hirola being relocated to the larger Ishaqbini Conservancy. Potential release sites are carefully assessed based on landscape suitability and evidence of existing population viability.
Our post-release monitoring adheres to global best practices, tracking key metrics such as population demographics, behaviour, and ecological impact. To ensure long-term success, a dedicated monitoring team comprising our rangers and personnel from partner organizations conducts 24/7 surveillance. Additionally, scout patrols systematically monitor carcasses at kill sites to evaluate predation risks and other emerging threats.

Question 3

Water For Wildlife

Accepted Answer

The problem
In the vast rangelands of North Eastern Kenya, drought has evolved from a cyclical challenge to an existential catastrophe. Climate change has transformed what were once manageable dry seasons into prolonged, devastating crises. While all life suffers, wildlife populations the brunt as the prolonged droughts lead to mass wildlife mortalities, increased human-wildlife conflict and loss of grazing land. In Garissa County, the crisis reaches its peak when the River Tana becomes the last remaining water source as traditional water points &#8211; sand dams, boreholes, and seasonal pans dry-up. This water shortage crisis transforms River Tana’s banks into a battleground where wildlife, pastoralists, and farmers clash over this precious, scarce resource. To counter these uncertainties our interventions, focus on ensuring a sustainable supply water to both wildlife and communities across the landscape.

Our interventions
Water trucking- We provide water to both communities and wildlife throughout Garissa County, particularly the northern region due to its distance from the Tana River. Since 2021, 5000+ households and 5 conservancies have benefited from our water trucking program, in which our hired water trucks traverse Garissa&#8217;s dusty roads to ensure a weekly supply of water to villages, ranger camps, and Mosques.
Water pans – We construct water pans in wildlife concentration areas within HCP founded conservancies and also set up water temporary watering points for wildlife within wildlife concentration areas in Garissa County. We regularly replenish these vital watering points through water trucking, sustaining wildlife within their habitats to keep them away from human settlements.
Opening up of water access corridors for wildlife and livestock along river Tana – The River Tana, Kenya&#8217;s largest and longest river, marks the western boundary of our protection area. It is vital that both wildlife and livestock have access to the river since it is a lifeline for the flora and fauna of our conservation area. There are historical and contemporary animal corridors along the river known locally as Malkas. However, invasive Prosopis juliflora plants, farms, and settlements have now blocked these vital corridors, preventing wildlife and cattle from accessing the river. Wildlife, notably giraffes, have been engaged in crop raids in the past, as they force their way to the river through farms, escalating the farmers-giraffe conflict. To curb this conflict, we collaborate with farmers and other community stakeholders to open up these corridors to accommodate both wildlife and livestock.

Question 4

Hirola Wildlife Education Centre:

Accepted Answer

Located at our main camp the Garissa Giraffe Centre, the Hirola Wildlife Education Centre stands as the first and only wildlife education centre in North Eastern Kenya. Dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding of local biodiversity, the centre provides a unique platform for children and communities to connect with nature, learn about conservation, and witness wildlife—particularly the Somali giraffe—in their natural habitat.
A Hands-On Learning Experience
In its first year of inception, the Hirola Wildlife Education Centre has welcomed 1,200 students from 11 of our partner schools, offering them an unforgettable blend of education and adventure. Through our tailored conservation curriculum, students delved into the challenges facing native wildlife, with a special focus on the hirola and Somali giraffe—two of the region’s most iconic yet threatened species. Additionally, students participate in fun conservation activities like games, quizzes, wildlife drawing, coloring sessions, and article writing competitions that make learning exciting and competitive.
The learning experience extended beyond the classroom. Students had the rare opportunity to:

Observe giraffes up close in their natural environment.
Embark on guided nature walks along scenic trails within the camp.
Engage in interactive sessions that highlighted the importance of wildlife conservation.
Bush-Camping at our camp to give students a first-hand wilderness survival experience.

Taking Conservation Beyond Our Walls
Beyond on-site programs, the Hirola Wildlife Education Centre actively reaches out to schools across Garissa, bringing conservation education directly to students in their respective school. Through these outreach programs, we ensure that even those who cannot visit the centre still gain crucial knowledge about protecting our unique wildlife species. During school visits, we provide students with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities including:
Habitat creation: we help students create a wildlife friendly environment within their school environment through activities such as tree planting, grass planting and bush clearing.School Wildlife Clubs: We help in establishing and maintaining wildlife clubs in our partner schools by supplying them with wildlife education materials for them to build a library to educate their club members.

Question 5

Drought; A looming disaster

Accepted Answer

The National Government of Kenya declared the drought a national disaster on 8th September 2021 (https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001422964/president-uhuru-declares-drought-a-national-disaster). The drought condition is dire and worsening in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) including our conservation sites in Garissa County. Garissa county received no rainfall in August and an average of 3.1mm in July which is below the long-term average for July. The 3 months Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) dropped from 25.91 in July to 21.16 in August indicating vegetation deficits and being below the long-term average of 47.4. The poor forage condition is worsening because of the poor performance of long rains (in March, April and May) and windy dry spells in June. 82.8% of the forage condition in Garissa County is poor while 10.3% is fair, with only Boni forest having pasture and browse in good condition. About 70% of water pans have dried up and the remaining ones will probably have dried up by October.

The deterioration of these rangeland resources that include forage and water has triggered migrations and invasions by pastoralists to core wildlife areas, and an increase in poaching activities within our conservation sites (https://ke.opera.news/ke/en/environment/3507b27ea1e91a6621439c570296cd7a) . This is also being witnessed in other parts of the country (https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/rift-valley/article/2001417628/fears-of-fresh-clashes-as-herders-invade-ranches).
With the situation expected to get worse, we have been cushioning the locals, livestock and wildlife from further impacts of the ravaging drought. We have been replenishing water pans for both the communities and wildlife using water trucks. These water trucking activities have started to bear fruits as the average return distances from households to water sources has slightly decreased from a distance of 10.6km to 10.1 km.
																										
However, these distances are slightly longer than the long term mean distances. We, therefore, plan on involving more water trucks and providing water on a weekly basis. We have also been providing high quality feeds to wildlife and livestock. This is expected to improve livestock health and increase their productivity, especially in milk production. This will greatly benefit the local communities by reducing inter-clan conflicts arising from migration in search of pasture, and invasion of wildlife protected areas. Following our assessment and identification of water access points along the river, we are currently lobbying with the Garissa County Government to open these wildlife access corridors that would greatly increase access to water by wildlife. Finally, the body condition of livestock is worsening due to lack of sufficient pasture making them susceptible to diseases. There have been no major disease outbreaks but of concern is the increased cases of endemic Bovine Trypanosomiasis especially in Ijara and Sangailu and isolated cases of CCPP. This is a worry because at least 24 hirola were killed by the tick-borne cattle disease (East Coast fever) and Trypanosomiasis in 1998. Without urgent intervention, this disease could potentially spill over to hirola and cause mass mortalities. As we monitor this situation, we are proposing a livestock vaccination exercise to stop the spread of this infectious disease. Similarly, we have noticed increased cases of giraffe skin diseases associated with malnutrition and other environmental stresses. We witnessed similar skin diseases during the 2019 drought that resulted in the mortalities of 21 reticulated giraffes.

Question 6

Anti-poaching amidst Covid-19

Accepted Answer

Enhancing our Anti-poaching effort in response to COVID-19 Pandemic
The impacts COVID-19 have seen conservation areas operate at lower intensities due to; (i) budget and staff cuts that have reduced their management effectiveness, (ii) diminished functional capacities as a result of reducing vital management services e.g. ranger patrols, and (iii) disruption of livelihoods that have led to increased poaching incidents, illegal logging activities, and encroachment into critical wildlife habitat. In addition, some conservation activities are not considered essential services and as a result affecting efficient responses to incidences like human-wildlife conflicts. This has, to some extent, reduced the tolerance of communities to wildlife. The current pandemic, could therefore greatly weaken decades of conservation efforts.In response, and in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service, we are currently stepping up our anti-poaching efforts especially on identified poaching hotspots to deter and arrest poachers, recover and destroy snares, poisoned arrows spears, machetes and fill up pitfall traps.

For example, Mansabubu, one of the mapped hotspots was littered with evidence of brutality that includes broken limbs, wounds from poisonous arrows and snares, and machete scars while in other instances we discovered heads, skins, and hoofs of already butchered animals.

With the weekly patrols, the joint team has achieved a lot of success in our anti-poaching campaign. Recently, the team recovered over 20 kgs of bushmeat from in Mansabubu belonging to gerenuks and dik-diks in a strategic ambush they set on a group of notorious poachers who unfortunately managed to escape. The team recovered a spear, machete, knives and a bicycle from a thicket occupied by the poachers. The team is still following up on the whereabouts of the poachers in a quest to ensure they are arrested as they still pose a great threat to the wildlife population in the area.
																										
The Kenya Wildlife Service and the National Police Reservists have played a key role in providing our hirola rangers with the much-needed paramilitary support and back-up as our conservation areas have been over years marred with civil conflicts. We are looking forward to achieving more success in reversing the effects of COVID-19 and securing the hirola home range and providing 24-hour security for keystone species such as the few left African elephants in our region.
While also intensifying our anti-poaching efforts during this pandemic, we are also prioritizing the health and security of our rangers. We strictly comply with the guidelines provided by the Kenyan government and WHO including the frequent provision of masks, sanitisers and handwashing stations to our rangers, their families and everyone involved in our efforts.

Question 7

Human-Carnivore Conflict

Accepted Answer

In Garissa, local pastoral communities share the same landscape and resources with carnivores. However, a frequent drought that diminishes the available resources threatens the co-existence of the communities and carnivores. Currently, the short rains from October to November have failed in our conservation areas. This has heightened the human-carnivore conflicts as carnivores including lions, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs have turned to prey livestock, while crocodiles set deadly ambush attacks on both humans and livestock on the banks of River Tana which is the current main source of water as most water pans have dried up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT4-7UouO8c
Since May, we have been monitoring the conflicts in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service to ensure that the cases are reported and the locals get the much-deserved compensations while also conducting awareness meetings to curb the conflicts. Our hirola ranger Ali Hassan who attained his paralegal training has been of great help in ensuring the affected community members get the much-needed representation in compensation committees. We are hoping that the compensation process will be time so that the victim&#8217;s losses are settled as this may go a long way to promoting coexistence between carnivores and the local community.

Since May, there has been high tension and we have been witnessing retaliatory attacks by the community members that have to end up to be devastating for both the carnivores and the community members as well.

In a recent case we witnessed a case where a family in Sankuri area launched a retaliatory attack on spotted hyenas which had killed 5 goats from their herd. They followed the hyenas before they reached their den which was just nearby and launched an attack that saw the death of one hyena and 3 individuals from the family including a 9-year-old. Our team and the KWS officers managed to respond to the incident and urged residents to desist from carrying out retaliatory attacks and poisoning of carnivores, as their losses would be compensated as stipulated by the law. The injured victims are currently recovering well but we couldn’t establish the whereabouts of the hyenas except for the headless and severely mutilated body of the one the hyena displayed in the village.

Question 8

Illegal Cross Border Bushmeat Trade

Accepted Answer

Illegal Cross Border Bushmeat Trade
If you consume meat-based foods in the local hotels within Garissa and the region along the Kenya-Somalia border, there is a high chance you might have unintentionally eaten bushmeat. Particularly giraffes that for unknown reasons have been the target for the bushmeat trade. This illegal enterprise is purported to be very lucrative for instance, the giraffe meat is allegedly sold at Ksh 1500 ($ 15) per kilogram (2.2 pounds) while the same amount of beef goes for Ksh 500 ($ 5).
Although illegal, the cross border bushmeat trade has become a hard nut to crack. Fueled by the standing insecurity issues among other repetitive facts such as floods in this region, poachers continue to mercilessly slaughter endangered wildlife species such as the reticulated giraffe and the critically endangered hirola. Unfortunately, due to its illegal and elusive nature, it has been hard to track the activities revolving around this illegal cross border bushmeat trade. However, we have gathered some information on the reasons it seems widespread; North of our conservation sites lies the world’s largest refugee camp, Dadaab, which fuels poaching as most of the refugees subsist on bushmeat and illegal harvesting of plant-based resources. Occasionally, we receive news from the Garissa County commissioner on incidences of donkey carts caught ferrying giraffe meat to the refugee camps.
																										
East of Garissa lies Somalia which is overrun by suspected armed militias. The militia make forays into Kenya and also facilitate several illegal activities in our conservation sites. A similar trend has been reported in the south of Garissa, close to the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy, where floods from the Tana river often push people to conservation areas; while communities from the neighbouring County in the west of Tana river cross over to kill animals to help them survive. As we have gathered, the bushmeat further makes its way to Somalia, preserved through the indigenous Somali methods locally known as Nyirinyiri or Othkaah, packed in 20 litres jerrycans and are allegedly sold to organized criminal groups. We have since made a series of arrests with the most recent case of three individuals believed to have been the perpetrators of the gruesome killings of giraffes in Garissa County.
																										
The destination of the meat from this particular incident suspected to be Nairobi and Mombasa cities. The two men alongside the meat recovered were taken into police custody at Masalani Police Station. Our director and founder, Dr. Ali, noted that the recent arrest was a step in the right direction to protect biodiversity within the Horn of Africa.

Question 9

Hirola Conservation in Kenya

Accepted Answer

Hirola Conservation in Kenya
The hirola (Beatragus hunteri) is a rare antelope restricted to areas along the Kenyan-Somalia border.
		It is critically endangered and has been listed among 10-top focal species at risk of imminent extinction (IUCN, 2008, Isaac et al. 2007). The likely extinction of the world’s most endangered and refugee antelope species could be the first loss of an entire mammalian genus in modern times.																										
Even though the governments of Kenya and Somalia instituted hirola conservation programs with legal protection since 1970, their population declined by 95% over the last four decades (Butynski 2000; Probert et al. 2015; Ali et al. 2016). Presently, its population stands at <500 individuals (Ali et al. 2016) and is restricted to small areas along the Kenya-Somalia border with no formal protection.
The initial decline of hirola was linked to a rinderpest epidemic in the 1980s. Even though the disease was eradicated a few years later, there was no desirable increase in hirola population. While there has been historical and political instability in the hirola’s native range, the reasons for their decline and subsequent lack of recovery has remained unclear until recently. We tried out evidence-based approaches to understand the causal factors underlying hirola declines and its recovery.
Firstly, we sought to answer two questions: (1) had hirola populations experienced habitat loss via tree encroachment? and (2) if tree encroachment occurred, did this result in intensified predation pressure on hirola? Since the mid-1980s, hirola have remained at low population densities throughout their geographic range, with predators’ abundance remaining relatively constant in the range (Ali et al. 2017). After a close examination and analysis of the long-term satellite imagery, we found that there was a nearly 300% increase in tree cover between 1985 and 2012 within this range, mainly by invasive species primarily, Acacia reficiens (Ali et al. 2017).
Historically, the optimal habitat for hirola was largely grassland with approximately 30% tree cover but this was now not the case. To understand the impact of tree encroachment across the range we used GPS telemetry and mark-resight and sight-resight analyses, to track hirola herds and their behavior while foraging in the areas. We found that they avoided areas with high tree cover all-year-round primarily due to food limitation (Ali et al. 2017). We further found grassland dependent species such as cattle and the endemic hirola antelope in the area had been affected, which subsequently also threatened local livelihoods dependent on livestock production.
Our analysis also indicated that tree encroachment and subsequent decline of range quality for hirola and other grassland species was brought about by elephant extirpation, overgrazing, fire suppression and climate variability in the region. As such, the declining and poor range quality through tree encroachment was the more likely factor suppressing the recovery of hirola, and a key factor underlying chronic low numbers of hirola.
Secondly, we investigated the demographic drivers of hirola declines by estimating their vital rates across 3 environmental settings of varying levels of predation and rangeland quality over the period between 2012 to 2015. Vital rates we included were survival rates and fecundity and their responses to environmental variations. The three settings were (1) a predator-proof sanctuary with relatively high rangeland quality because of minimal livestock grazing nested within the Ishaqbini Community Conservancy; (2) the Ishaqbini Community Conservancy with similarly high rangeland quality but in which large carnivores occurred; and (3) an area outside the community conservancy (rangelands) with similar numbers of large carnivores to the conservancy, but lower rangeland quality (i.e. high levels of livestock grazing with reduced forage availability).
Our studies showed species exhibiting rapid range collapse can be found in habitats with low rates of survival, recruitment, or both, leading to negative population growth (Pulliam & Danielson 1991; Caughley 1994). With the establishment of the vital rates, we then developed population matrices, which we used estimate the finite rate of population change and demographic sensitivities.
We found vital rates for hirola across the three environmental settings and age classes were suppressed to varying degrees by a combination of predation and rangeland quality with a decreasing trend in population growth from the sanctuary to the conservancy and to the rangelands. The differences in population growth between the sanctuary and conservancy reflected the effect of predation by large carnivores (lions, hyenas, cheetahs etc), which are known to reduce fecundity and calf survival. Population growth between the conservancy and rangelands shifted from approximately stable to negative, due to higher rangeland quality (forage) in the conservancy.
We concluded that the suppressed population growth of hirola was due to a combination of predation and poor range quality while a combined effect of increased rangeland quality (stemming from low numbers of livestock) and exclusion of large carnivores was responsible for positive population growth of hirola. Survival of adults was the primary contributor to increased population growth that stemmed from enhanced rangeland quality (Ali et al. 2018).
Because large carnivore control is unethical and infeasible, the persistence of hirola may depend on the reversion of this excessive tree cover to grasslands in eastern Kenya. Rangeland restoration is therefore a prerequisite to the recovery of the critically endangered hirola antelope. Range restoration will be most successful, however, when it is supported by local communities and accounts for coupled relationships between human livelihoods and ecosystem function.
Following our findings, the Hirola Conservation Programme recently initiated a rangeland restoration project for this refugee antelope by assessing grassland recovery limiting factors using large scale multi-site experiments in their native range. This project will also have the knock-on benefit of improving local livelihoods. Their project has the support and participation of locals and is centered on century old Somali traditions including manual removal of trees, reseeding of grasslands and core area resting (planned grazing) for livestock as well as community-based elephant conservation and community engagement through education and empowerment. The findings from our research would also help to guide and enhance the chances of successful reintroductions of this highly endangered species.
References
Ali, A. H. (2016). Range Collapse, Demography and Conservation of the Critically
Endangered Hirola Antelope in Kenya. PhD dissertation, University of Wyoming, WY, USA.
Ali, A. H., Ford, A. T., Evans, J. S., Mallon, D. P., Hayes, M. M., King, J., &#8230; & Goheen, J. R. (2017). Resource selection and landscape change reveal mechanisms suppressing population recovery for the world&#8217;s most endangered antelope. Journal of Applied Ecology.
Ali, A. H., Kauffman, M. J., Amin, R., Kibara, A., King, J., Mallon, D., & Goheen, J. R. (2018). Demographic drivers of a refugee species: large‐scale experiments guide strategies for reintroductions of hirola. Ecological Applications.
Benayas, J. M. R., A. C. Newton, A. Diaz & J. M. Bullock. (2009). Enhancement of biodiversity and ecosystem services by ecological restoration: a meta-analysis. Science 325(5944), 1121-1124.
Butynski, T. M. (2000). Independent evaluation of hirola antelope (Beatragus hunteri)
conservation status and conservation action in Kenya. Nairobi: Kenya Wildlife Service and Hirola Management Committee.
Caughley, G. (1994). Directions in conservation biology. Journal of Animal Ecology 63, 215–244.
Isaac, N. J., Turvey, S. T., Collen, B., Waterman, C., & Baillie, J. E. (2007). Mammals on the EDGE: conservation priorities based on threat and phylogeny. PloS one, 2(3), e296.IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008). Beatragus hunteri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. .
Probert, J., Evans, B., Andanje, S., Kock, R., & Amin, R. (2015). Population and habitat assessment of the critically endangered hirola (Beatragus hunteri) in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya. Oryx 49(3) 514-520.
Pulliam, H. R., & B. J. Danielson. (1991). Sources, sinks, and habitat selection: a landscape perspective on population dynamics. American Naturalist 137, 50–66.

Question 10

How to save Hirola antelope

Accepted Answer

How to save Hirola antelope
Why hirola are the world’s most endangered antelope, and what it will take to save them
In this post Jacob Goheen and Abdullahi Ali discuss their recent paper ‘Resource selection and landscape change reveal mechanisms suppressing population recovery for the world’s most endangered antelope‘.
The arid climate of eastern Kenya is harsh and daunting to outsiders. In this part of Kenya, however, lie the only known haunts of the hirola, one of the most beautiful—and the most endangered—antelope in the world. The hirola (a Somali word for “beige”) is a slender, shy animal with a long face and spectacled eyes. They graze in groups of females led by a dominant male.
Historically, the hirola was endemic to the Kenya-Somali border; today, there are only a few isolated populations in eastern Kenya. As the world’s most endangered antelope, the hirola has declined from over 15,000 individuals in the 1970s to 500 individuals in recent years. The reasons for this decline remained unclear for many years, and conservationists guessed that a combination of loss of grasslands and predation pressure were responsible for the low abundances and geographic-range contraction of contemporary populations.
																										
Because hirola occur exclusively outside formally protected areas, research attention was scant, and knowledge gaps about its biology persisted. My fellow Somalis have a reverence for hirola (they are indicators of good grazing areas for cattle and other livestock), and I have watched their numbers decline since I was a small boy. As a young scientist dedicated to conservation, I decided to tackle this challenge and dive head-first into field efforts to save hirola. The chance came when I met Dr. Jacob Goheen, a professor with a passion to train African scientists working on wildlife ecology and conservation in their home countries. In collaboration with Dr. Goheen and through the University of Wyoming’s Program In Ecology, I embarked on dissertation research to reveal the factors underlying chronically low numbers of hirola. My collaborators and I sought to answer two questions: (1) had hirola populations experienced habitat loss via tree encroachment?; and (2) if tree encroachment occurred, did this result in intensified predation pressure on hirola?
We discovered that, between 1985 and 2012, tree cover increased by >250% across the historical range of hirola. Tree encroachment was associated with a 98% decline of elephant populations, a 74% decline in cattle populations, an increase in browsing livestock (mostly goats and camels) by 327%, and a significant reduction in rainfall. Although hirola avoided tree cover, there was no evidence that predation on hirola increased with increasing tree cover.
The extinction of hirola would be the first of a mammalian genus on the African continent in modern history. The current low numbers of hirola result largely from habitat loss through tree encroachment, exacerbated by elephant extirpation, overgrazing, drought, and maybe fire suppression. Guided by this research, the Hirola Conservation Program is working to implement a combination of rangeland restoration efforts (including conservation of elephants, manual clearing of trees, and grass seeding), increased enforcement of an existing protected area (Arawale National Reserve), and reintroductions to enhance recovery for this globally endangered species. The international community has an important role to play in supporting these efforts to bolster hirola numbers in eastern Kenya.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJUvyNYSrx0

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