Ugandan wildlife officials begin moving 12 endangered Nubian giraffes within the country’s largest national park, Murchison Falls National Park, to help protect the animals amid nearby oil activity. Rangers start the translocation on Tuesday, relocating the giraffes about 106 kilometers to Ajai Wildlife Reserve. The operation is expected to take a couple of days. The Uganda Wildlife Authority says the move is intended to preserve the Nubian giraffe population, support broader biodiversity goals, and create additional tourism opportunities.
The relocation comes as oil exploration and drilling expand in the Murchison Falls area. Sources note that an estimated 40 percent of Uganda’s oil deposits are located in the region, including within the park. Environmental groups have long opposed drilling and report that heavy machinery has been seen moving through parts of the national park in recent months. Uganda has been working toward producing its first oil from the area, and TotalEnergies began drilling in June 2023 under the Tilenga project inside the park.
The reporting describes the effort primarily as a conservation and risk-reduction measure for endangered giraffes as industrial development continues nearby.
