The only known albino giraffe in Kenya will be monitored day and night by the conservationists of the Ishaqbini Hirola reserve in Hijara in Garissa County where the very rare male specimen lives. For months it was believed to have been killed by poachers who had already raided its female and their seven-month-old cub last March.
Now, the giraffe suffering from genetic leukemia, a disease that is evidenced by a partial or total loss of pigmentation, by colouring the skin pianco, has been collared with a modern tracking device, so that it always remains in safe areas of the Conservancy.
The operation was carried out by experts from the Northern Rangelands Trust and Save Giraffes Now, following a formal request to the Kenya Wildlife Service.
The GPS tracker was placed on the horn that the male giraffes have in the middle of their forehead, the Ishaqbini community said, as reported by the national newspaper The Standard.
The GPS unit will provide hourly updates on the giraffe's position, allowing rangers to monitor its movements on a daily basis, "keeping the unique animal safe from poachers".
The heavy rainfall in the Garissa area over the past few days will provide food for the giraffes and give them a chance to survive, but the great threat, especially in these less frequented areas of northern Kenya, and even less so because of the lack of tourism, is poaching.
This phenomenon can no longer be traced only to the search for elephant tusks for precious ivory, but also simply wildlife meat for survival or for resale on the black market slaughterhouses.
In fact, GPS trackers have also been installed on five specimens of Hirola, an endangered antelope and a real peculiarity of the Conservancy, a species to be particularly protected.
According to Ishaqbini conservationists, since the Hirola Sacntuary was established in 2012, the population of these very rare antelopes has increased by 160 percent. There are now around 130 specimens around the reserve.
Ishaqbini is a reserve managed by the communities of Hara, Kotile and Korisa, with the aim of preserving the local ecosystem while supporting their livelihoods.
To date, 24 scouts and 34 other people are employed in its management.

Photo:  Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy