Ishaqbini Hirola is a community based wildlife conservation project in Ijara District of Garissa County-Kenya, founded in 2005. It borders the River Tana. The Conservancy is at the status of a registered company with complete functional organizational structures with the land being under communal ownership. It covers the four local communities of Hara, Korisa, Kotile and Abaratilo. These people are the rightful owners of the Ishaqbini conservation project and have direct membership with a population of 15,000 community members spread all over these locations.

The Conservancy is core refuge and breeding ground for and is protecting a thriving population of the most endangered antelope in the world: the hirola. Beyond, it is also home to a variety of other species including giraffe, warthog, kudu, gerenuk, ostrich and even a unique group of maneless plains zebra.

Ishaqbini Hirola is a member conservancy of Northern Rangelands Trust Kenya (NRT-Kenya). With the vision to establish and sustain conservation programmes, Ishaqbini Hirola works to make lasting contributions to the future of the hirola antelope and of the local communities. Equipped with a research centre, the Conservancy explores different and efficient ways to manage a hirola population threatened by modern cultural and social changes. Their research continues to be at the forefront of global science because of their partnership with local, national, and international organizations.

Conservation and Community Highlights:

1. Hirola: collared five individuals of the critically endangered hirola antelope in partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service and Northern Rangelands Trust
2. Livestock vaccination program: vaccinated 61,800 community livestock in 2019
3. Improved conservancy infrastructure: conference facility with the support of Garissa County (ongoing project)
4. Invasive species: cleared an area of 150 ha of invasive species inside the sanctuary as a pilot for a rangelands restoration program
5. White giraffe: fitted a tracking device on the only white male giraffe remaining in the wild

Future Aims:

1. To prevent spill over of disease from domestic animals to hirola and make plans to prepare for the annual vaccination campaign of domestic livestock
2. To end bushmeat poaching
3. To implement the 5 year Conservancy management plan 2019-2024
4. Improve community livelihoods through business enterprise development for the locals as an alternative source of livelihood
5. Community awareness through conservation education programs

Images provided.