Effective wildlife monitoring in a protected area requires an initial understanding of the existing interactions between wildlife and local communities, especially those living in, or around, them. This study examined local ecological knowledge (LEK) on the Critically Endangered Kordofan giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum) held by local communities in the Bouba Ndjidda Conservation Landscape in North Cameroon. We sought to better understand perceived LEK regarding the local Kordofan giraffe population to support their future conservation. During January–February 2023 we collected data through structured questionnaire interviews from 160 people in 14 villages located within the Bouba Ndjidda Conservation Landscape. Most respondents recognized Kordofan giraffe as an iconic and sacred animal, yet its tail remains coveted as a local cure for neck pain and leprosy by a small number of respondents. The community perceptions of Kordofan giraffe population trends were mixed, with approximately two-thirds of the respondents (63%) indicating that they are decreasing and not abundant in the landscape. When respondent observation data of Kordofan giraffe were correlated with socio-demographic variables, giraffe were more frequently observed by young people (26–45 years), and predominantly in the southeastern part of the landscape. The study showed that the communities' LEK was valuable baseline data to support local conservation efforts of the Kordofan giraffe in Cameroon, and potentially more regionally in their isolated and fragmented populations across Central Africa.