The safeguarding of the Red-necked Ostrich, the West African strain, which today is essentially limited to a few small groups of wild birds in Mali and Niger (Mauritania, Senegal?), a few birds in European and American zoos, and a handful of breeding operations in Niger. Its preservation is important for biodiversity conservation, but it can also contribute to developing economic activities in the country’s most disadvantaged rural areas, through breeding and through increasing the tourist appeal of protected areas. This is already expected at a site in Oudalan (in the far north of the country), where semi-nomadic populations have designated their reintroduction site, towards which they will lead camel-based tourist safaris. In the Gabio area, promoters of community wildlife zones wish to reintroduce the ostrich, formerly known as “Tata”.
The project aims to help safeguard the West African strain of ostrich, the Red-necked Ostrich, which disappeared from Burkina Faso 20 years ago, through: the safeguarding of the Red-necked Ostrich and its reintroduction into West African Burkina Faso; the ecotourism enhancement of the areas targeted for reintroduction, which will see increased tourist appeal at their sites, including village areas; and the generation of income for future ostrich breeders, who will be able to offer specimens of higher value than domestic ostriches, as well as for populations living around the reintroduction areas.
