Sharing the Tana: Coexistence Tools for Giraffes and Farmers

Along the River Tana in north-eastern Kenya, reticulated giraffes and smallholder farms share the same green margins — and that overlap can turn costly for both sides.

The Somali Giraffe Project’s annual report describes a programme tackling the problem from two directions at once. On the monitoring side, the report records 29 reticulated giraffes collared across Garissa and Wajir counties in 2025, with a further phase planned, so that movement data can reveal how giraffes actually use the landscape and where conflict is most likely.

On the coexistence side, the toolkit is refreshingly practical: solar-powered deterrent lamps — the report describes 30 installed around farms near the river — alongside lime seedlings, beehive fences, scarecrows, farmer engagement, and ranger monitoring. Non-lethal, locally maintained, and built around what farmers already do.

It is a pattern worth watching for any team working on human-wildlife conflict: movement data tells you where and when the pressure comes, and simple deterrents handle the what now. Neither works as well alone.

For teams planning similar work, our specialized tags are built for giraffes and other species where collars are unsuitable, and the LionShield system applies the same detect-and-deter logic to predator conflict.

Conservation activities described are those of the Somali Giraffe Project as reported in its Annual Report 2025.