Eight endangered Rothschild's giraffe recently arrived at their ancestral home on the shores of Lake Baringo, Kenya. Their arrival marked a long-awaited homecoming for the species—for nearly 70 years, Rothschild's giraffe have been absent from the Lake Baringo area, which was once part of their native range. The area has now been turned into a nature reserve—the Ruko Conservancy—to help ensure the long-term protection of the rare species of giraffe.

With only 670 Rothschild's giraffe left in the wild, conservationists hope that by transferring these eight giraffes to the Ruko Conservancy, they can establish a new population and thereby reduce the risk that now looms over this endangered species.

The transport of the eight giraffe took conservationists four years to plan and required input from multiple organizations including the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Northern Rangelands Trust, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, The Tusk Trust and The Born Free Foundation.

Immense care was given to the well-being of the giraffes during each stage of the journey. The translocation effort began in Soysambu Conservancy near Nakuru, Kenya. Conservationists captured eight giraffe and placed them in a holding area for three weeks to minimize stress on the animals and to prepare them for the move. The giraffes were then taken by specially-designed vehicle to the edge of Lake Baringo and transferred onto a modified landing craft. The landing craft ferried the giraffe across the lake to the Ruko Conservancy. The giraffe were released into another holding area where they will be kept for several weeks while they adjust to their new surroundings.

In August 2010, Rothschild's giraffe were recognized as an endangered species by the IUCN, in large part due to the efforts of scientists from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation who have been studying the species.