The wildlife of Djibouti is under threat due to the alarming growth of the population and the overuse of natural resources by the poor people in Djibouti. A number of species, which include both mammals and birds, have become endangered species here. The habitat of a number of animals is under threat because of the hunting of local nomads. Natural disasters and deforestation also aggravate the problem. Djibouti Conservation is the only means to protect these wild animals from becoming extinct. The government, as well as NGOs, has to up active initiatives to protect these endangered species. Focused Djibouti Conservation projects have not been undertaken to date.
The endangered endemic species of Djibouti include:
- Beira antelope
- Djibouti francolin
The habitat of both these is under threat. The habitat of Djibouti Francolin is the juniper tree forests in the mountains of Djibouti. A great proportion of the trees here are dying out. There are no conservation areas in Djibouti for these endangered animals.
A project has been undertaken jointly by Zoo Landau in der Pfalz and Djibouti Nature, a local conservation NGO in Djibouti, and supported by Saint Louis Zoo for the conservation of these endangered animals. They are also planning to set up a curriculum for environmental education in schools to increase awareness of the conservation of Djibouti animals among people.
Lake Abbe