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Twelve Angolan Giraffes Were Reintroduced to Bicuar National Park

Silhouette of an Angolan giraffe at sunrise in the Kalahari Desert of Namibia
Conservation · Reintroductions & translocations

Twelve angolan giraffes (Giraffa giraffa angolensis) were reintroduced from Namibia to Bicuar National Park in Angola by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and Angola’s Instituto Nacional da Biodiversidade e Áreas de Conservação (INBAC). The angolan giraffe is a subspecies of the southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa).

Native angolan giraffes once occurred widely across southern Angola but disappeared from much of their historical range after decades of civil conflict, habitat degradation and poaching. GCF and INBAC assessed habitat suitability and the feasibility of a translocation in 2025 before selecting Bicuar as a release site. The 12 animals were chosen from two separate properties in Namibia to maximize genetic diversity and the long-term viability of the founder population.

All 12 giraffes were fitted with solar-powered GPS satellite tracking devices. Field teams will use the data to follow movement patterns, the establishment of home ranges and habitat use, including whether the animals remain together or disperse through the park. Additional translocations are planned if the first group establishes successfully.

The Bicuar release is the first operational phase of a wider programme to restore angolan giraffes across parts of their historical range in Angola. It follows reintroductions of angolan giraffes to Iona National Park in 2023 and 2024 and forms part of Angola’s National Giraffe Conservation Action Plan for 2026–2030.

Sources and image credit

  1. GCF and INBAC (2026) — Historic Conservation Initiative to Restore Angolan Giraffe to Angola’s Bicuar National ParkPrimary project announcement by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and Angola’s conservation authority, published in August 2026. It documents the founder group of 12 giraffes from two Namibian source properties, the 2025 feasibility work, satellite tracking and planned follow-up translocations.

Image: Giles Laurent — angolan giraffe (Giraffa giraffa angolensis) photographed at sunrise in the Kalahari Desert, Namibia, 22 July 2025; Wikimedia Commons. Representative image from the source country; not one of the 12 giraffes translocated to Bicuar National Park. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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Reintroductions & translocations

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