乌干达野生动物管理部门周二启动了一项迁移行动，将12只濒危努比亚长颈鹿从穆奇森瀑布国家公园转移到106公里外的阿贾伊野生动物保护区 [1]。这一举措旨在保护该物种免受公园内石油钻探活动的威胁 [1]。
穆奇森瀑布国家公园内蕴藏着乌干达约40%的石油储量 [1]。2023年6月，能源企业TotalEnergies在公园内启动了天然气项目的钻探工作 [1]。为了维护物种种群、增加生物多样性并支持保护区的生态恢复，乌干达野生动物管理部门决定进行这次迁移 [1]。
乌干达野生动物管理部门助理专员Patrick Atimnedi表示，这个迁移目的地距此约100公里，"在同一保护区、同一区域内，是正确的保护决定" [1]。
阿贾伊野生动物保护区成立于1937年，占地166平方公里 [1]。努比亚长颈鹿体型庞大，身高可达6米，体重可达2000公斤 [1]。
Uganda's wildlife authority began moving 12 endangered Nubian giraffes from Murchison Falls National Park to Ajay Wildlife Reserve, located approximately 106 kilometers away, on Tuesday [1]. The relocation aims to protect the species from oil drilling operations threatening their habitat within the park [1].
Murchison Falls contains roughly 40 percent of Uganda's oil reserves [1]. TotalEnergies commenced drilling for a natural gas project within the park in June 2023 [1]. By relocating the giraffes to Ajay Wildlife Reserve, Uganda's wildlife authority seeks to safeguard the species population, increase biodiversity, and contribute to ecological restoration efforts in the reserve [1].
According to Patrick Atimnedi, Assistant Commissioner of Uganda's Wildlife Authority, the decision represents appropriate conservation strategy: "There is a population location about 100 kilometers from here, within the same reserve and same region, which is the right conservation decision" [1].
Ajay Wildlife Reserve, established in 1937, spans 166 square kilometers [1]. Nubian giraffes can reach heights of up to 6 meters and weigh as much as 2,000 kilograms [1].