A Journey of Giraffe A practical guide to wild giraffe translocations Developed by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation Contact information [email protected] https://giraffeconservation.org Giraffe Resource Centre https://girafferesourcecentre.org Citation Fennessy, J., Bower, V., Castles, M., Dadone, L., Fennessy, S., Miller, M., Morkel, P. & Ferguson, S. 2020. A Journey of Giraffe – A practical guide to wild giraffe translocations. Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Windhoek, Namibia. Authors and their affiliations Dr Julian Fennessy – Giraffe Conservation Foundation Veronica Bower – Independent Dr Madelaine Castles – School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland Dr Liza Dadone – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Stephanie Fennessy – Giraffe Conservation Foundation Dr Michelle Miller – Rare Species Conservatory Foundation Dr Pete Morkel – Independent wildlife veterinarian Dr Sara Ferguson – Giraffe Conservation Foundation 3 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 6 DOCUMENT PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................ 6 WHAT IS A TRANSLOCATION? ...................................................................................................................... 6 OVERVIEW OF GIRAFFE BIOLOGY .......................................................................................................... 8 TAXONOMY ............................................................................................................................................. 8 MORPHOLOGY ......................................................................................................................................... 9 HABITAT AND FORAGE ............................................................................................................................. 11 BEHAVIOUR ........................................................................................................................................... 11 COMMUNICATION .................................................................................................................................. 12 REPRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 12 TEMPERAMENT ...................................................................................................................................... 12 AGEING ................................................................................................................................................ 13 DENTITION ............................................................................................................................................ 13 CONSERVATION ...................................................................................................................................... 13 CONSERVATION STATUS ................................................................................................................................... 13 CONSERVATION THREATS ................................................................................................................................. 15 PRE-CAPTURE CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................................................ 16 PLANNING A CAPTURE OR TRANSLOCATION EXERCISE ...................................................................................... 16 AREA RECEIVING GIRAFFE ......................................................................................................................... 16 DONOR POPULATION ............................................................................................................................... 17 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 18 TRANSLOCATION PERIOD .......................................................................................................................... 18 CAPTURE ............................................................................................................................................ 20 CHEMICAL IMMOBILISATION ...................................................................................................................... 20 EQUIPMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 20 DARTS AND PROJECTORS .................................................................................................................................. 20 ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................................................. 21 DARTING .............................................................................................................................................. 22 DARTING ON FOOT .......................................................................................................................................... 22 DARTING FROM A HELICOPTER ........................................................................................................................... 22 DARTING FROM A VEHICLE ................................................................................................................................ 22 DART PLACEMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 22 AMBIENT TEMPERATURE .................................................................................................................................. 23 FEMALE AND CALF ........................................................................................................................................... 24 CHOICE AND DOSE OF IMMOBILISING DRUGS IN THE FIELD ...................................................................................... 24 ANIMALS IN POOR CONDITION ........................................................................................................................... 25 INDUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 25 HANDLING IMMOBILISED GIRAFFE ............................................................................................................... 27 STANDARDISED PROCEDURES ............................................................................................................................ 27 MONITORING ................................................................................................................................................. 27 EYES, EARS AND ROPES ..................................................................................................................................... 28 RESPIRATION/OXYGEN ..................................................................................................................................... 29 BODY TEMPERATURE ....................................................................................................................................... 29 HEART RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE .................................................................................................................... 30 DART WOUND ................................................................................................................................................ 30 DRAWING BLOOD ............................................................................................................................................ 30 MEDICAL RECORD KEEPING .............................................................................................................................. 30 ADDITIONAL TASKS .......................................................................................................................................... 31 REVERSAL ............................................................................................................................................. 31 OTHER DRUGS AND DOSES FOR IMMOBILISATION ........................................................................................... 31 NONCHEMICAL/MASS CAPTURE ........................................................................................................................ 32 4 TRANSLOCATION ................................................................................................................................ 34 TRANSLOCATION THROUGH BOMAS ............................................................................................................ 34 BOMA TO BOMA ............................................................................................................................................. 34 FIELD TO BOMA .............................................................................................................................................. 34 BOMA TO FIELD .............................................................................................................................................. 34 FIELD TO FIELD ..............................................................................................................................................