North African ostrich recovery
With the exception of a few small populations in the savanna, the North African ostrich has disappeared from its vast historical range across the Sahara and Sahel. For nearly two decades, Sahara Conservation has been working alongside national authorities and partners to restore this iconic species through captive breeding and reintroduction programs in Niger and Chad.
In September 2026, a historic milestone was reached as the North African ostrich returned to the wild in Niger after more than two decades of absence.
Our efforts to restore the North African ostrich
As one of Sahara Conservation’s earliest conservation initiatives in the region, the restoration of the North African ostrich has long been a core part of our work. Our approach combines captive breeding, population management and genetic diversity, preparing birds for their return to their natural habitat, protecting reintroduced populations, and working closely with national authorities and local communities.
Our goal: to progressively re-establish viable wild populations of North African ostriches across their historical range in Niger and Chad.
A breeding program to save the North African ostrich in Niger
In 2007, Sahara Conservation, Saint Louis Zoo, the AZA Struthioniformes Taxon Advisory Group, and the Nigerien NGO CERNK launched a pioneering initiative to save the North African ostrich, which had disappeared from the wild in Niger in 2004.
With support from CERNK, this initiative led to the establishment of a breeding center in Kellé, central Niger, which Sahara Conservation has fully managed since 2011. The organization trains and employs Nigerien professionals to ensure the center’s day-to-day operations. In 2017, Sahara Conservation also began supporting a second breeding facility in Mainé-Soroa, southern Niger.
Continuous improvements in infrastructure, animal care, and breeding practices, including the development of an adapted diet and the construction of enclosures meeting the standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), have significantly improved ostrich survival and breeding success.
Particular attention is also given to maintaining genetic diversity, which is essential to establishing viable populations in the long term.
Reintroducing the North African ostrich into the wild
After several years dedicated to building up captive populations, the program has progressively reached new milestones towards reintroducing the species into its natural habitat.
In Chad, an initiative launched in 2020 with African Parks enabled the transfer of young wild ostriches from Zakouma National Park to the Ouadi Rimé – Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve and the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve, as part of broader efforts to restore the species.
That same year, in Niger, the first ostriches from the breeding centers were transferred, in collaboration with national authorities, to acclimatization enclosures in the Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve, preparing them for their gradual return to the wild.
On September 2, 2026, eight North African ostriches were released into the Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve, marking the species’ return to the wild in Niger after more than twenty years of absence.
This first founder group is now being monitored to assess how the birds adapt to their environment, their survival, movements, and ultimately, their reproduction.
Discover the return of the North African ostrich to the wild in Niger →
The return of the North African ostrich to the wild represents a major achievement, but also the beginning of a new chapter in its conservation. Efforts are continuing to support reintroduced populations, strengthen their ability to survive and reproduce in the wild, and protect the habitats on which they depend.
Through this long-term program, Sahara Conservation remains committed to restoring the North African ostrich to its rightful place in the ecosystems of the Sahara and Sahel.
Our partners
