The world's first Hirola sanctuary is now officially running in North Kenya. Containing 48 hirola, 24 of which were translocated without complications: EDGE Blog A Safe Haven For The World’s Most Endangered Antelope
The idea is to provide a safe and protected sanctuary locale for a breeding group. The major factors behind their decline are predation by lions/hyaenas (taken after them ...), poaching, habitat degredation, competition with livestock. Once secure, the offspring can repopulate surrounding areas. It will also provide for a focal point for eco-tourism and local pride in the local environment. I do hope the programme can link up with other Conservancies in the NRT alliance and provide further stock in due course (or new groups from captures from the wild open spaces .. in the Garissa district).
Great to hear some encouraging news for this species. I really do have a lot of time for EDGE; fantastic project that does great things with lesser-known species.
Good Hirola news : Wildlife Extra News - Good news in the crusade to save the endangered Hirola antelope
More good news ! : Press Release: World?s rarest antelope flourishes under community conservation | Northern Rangelands Trust
The conservancy model is the mode of operation for a successful hybrid conservation-ranching model. I see before long the driving force behind the Ishaqibini Conservancy and the NRT will be able to set up similar conservancies in north-eastern Kenya and make the entire hirola population as well as other rarer wildlife like reticulated giraffe and fringe-eared oryx/beisa in the area make a true big come-back.
Let's hope that this way of conservation finds it way soon to other African countries, e.g. Ethiopia or Western Africa.
Man, I'm usually so good at the reading. I totally read your post and thought "'Drama,' is that a new antelope species I hadn't heard of yet?"
Not quite related to the sanctuary but more about the hirola population as a whole, but here's a short video on the efforts to save them. Saving one of the world's rarest antelope A shame that they've put a picture of a hartebeest as the preview instead of a hirola
