why are giraffes endangered

Read more about us. Giraffes need to find habitats that protect them from poachers, offer solid food and fluid resources, do not have an abundance of predators and provide an overall stable environment. Many giraffe populations are already severely fragmented, in addition to being at least 50 percent smaller than reported half a century ago in many regions. Giraffes, the world’s tallest land mammals and a majestic sight in zoos and reserves everywhere, are being threatened with extinction because of illegal hunting and a decline in their natural habitat, a report says.. Female giraffes give birth standing up, so infants are born, falling about five feet to the ground. And, as human populations rise, the demand for meat will only cause further detriment to giraffe populations living in proximity. While traversing the landscape to feed all day, they are in actuality pruning and distributing seeds across the terrain, helping to keep the habitat managed for other wildlife to use. International Union for Conservation of Nature, increased wildlife trafficking and poaching, U.S. hunters imported 3,744 dead giraffes between 2006 and 2015, mulling over a proposal to list the species, Pro-extinction Policies Do Not Sit Well With Americans, Whatever Their Stripe, Facing Down the Ivory Sellers, Pangolin Poachers, and Giraffe Traders, Epic Animals Aren’t Meant for Trafficking, To Save These Rare Giraffes, Uganda Built an Ark (of Sorts). How do female giraffes give birth? In the wild, giraffes have few predators aside from humans. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and update email soon. Increased urbanisation, poaching, illegal hunting practices, and civil unrest in parts of Africa prove to be an increasing danger for giraffes. Giraffes are not classified as an endangered species. Giraffes considered for ‘endangered’ status after steady population decline ‘We love these animals, and they’ve been undergoing a silent extinction without the public being aware of it’ “There are fewer giraffes left on this planet than African elephants.”. Two subspecies of giraffe have populations of less than 250 animals, including the West African giraffe and the Nubian giraffe. In the 1980s, it was estimated that about 150,000 total giraffes lived in the wild, but today, not even 40 years later, that number has dropped by 40 percent Africa-wide. Giraffe are highly social animals and live in herds of 15-20 female giraffe and some young males. Still, putting giraffes on the endangered species list would go a long way to help them. Two subspecies of giraffe have now been listed as 'critically endangered' as humans encroach on their habitat. To put it in context, there is reportedly one giraffe for every four African elephants, which themselves are considered a vulnerable species. Although these new listings sound the alarm, there is reason for hope. Yet as Elly Pepper, deputy director of NRDC’s wildlife trade program, notes, “giraffes clearly qualify under the Endangered Species Act” (ESA). Famously, early evolutionary biologist Jean Baptiste Lamarck used giraffes as an example of his theories, that, if an animal needed to adapt to suit its environment, it could do so within its own lifetime. The proposal would also enable authorities to collect international trade data for giraffes that would justify greater protections by both the members of CITES and other scientific and governmental bodies in the future. While this cottage industry is a boon to many low-income workers, it’s a problem for giraffes, who rely on those trees for sustenance. In 2016, all four species of giraffe were upgraded by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to “Vulnerable” and two species in particular, the West African giraffe and the Rothschild’s giraffe, are now listed as “Endangered.”. Giraffes live in areas that are also inhabited by endangered mammals, such as Cape hunting dogs, leopards, and Abbott’s duiker, endangered birds, such as the secretary bird, southern ground hornbill, and martial eagle, and endangered reptiles, such as the Usambara spotted worm snake. In actuality, it was his theories that were a bit of a stretch. More than half of those live in Murchison Falls National Park. In an attempt to raise awareness of the conservation of these incredible creatures, many media outlets are reporting that giraffes are becoming endangered in various parts of Africa. Not every scientist got it right, however. An endangered assessment is an eye opener that signals the critical need for giraffe protections,” says Adam Peyman, wildlife programs and operations manager for … But why, since most species of giraffes live in similar landscapes? The giraffe, or giraffa camelopardalis, is endangered due to habitat loss, the breaking up of habitat areas, the lack of suitability in existing habitats, poaching and new human population growth. How Can I Protect Wildlife in My Community? It’s not just one thing which contributes to such a decline but a combination of complex factors which must be considered together to understand the full picture. According to IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, there are only over 4,000 Kordofan and Nubian giraffes left in the wild — meaning, the gentle creatures are just a stage away from being extinct. In the face of ever-growing pressure on their livelihoods, some Sudanese have also turned to giraffe bushmeat as a means of survival. Rather than facing the wrath of a federal judge, FWS issued a finding in April 2019 that the endangerment listing “may be warranted.” That gave the agency nine additional months to decide whether the listing is, in fact, warranted. The remaining herds are fragmented and face a multitude of threats, from habitat loss to poaching. Each one of their cervical vertebrae is just longer. Giraffes used to range continuously … A giraffe’s heart has to generate nearly double the normal blood pressure of other mammals to give the giraffe’s brain adequate blood supply. In addition to stopping the widespread trade in giraffe parts, it would direct funding to giraffe conservation and require U.S. government agencies to coordinate their activities to ensure that no federal action further imperils the species. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Current populations of the four species of giraffes are widely scattered and fragmented, and each population is subject to a variety of threats specific to its region. Family. Having a long neck may make giraffes seem really cool on the outside, but the physiology underneath, helping it all work, makes it even more exceptional! Thankfully this complex pressure regulation system can manage these wild extremes — and can prevent too much blood flow to the brain when the giraffe has to bend all the way down to drink water. (You can’t.). How Can Endangered Species Be on Both IUCN’s Red List and the New Green List. Giraffes are susceptible to poaching as they are largely docile animals that are easy to kill and provide a lot of meat. Never, ever buy giraffe products. While giraffes don’t live in the wild in the United States, Pepper adds that “there are steps the government must take under the terms of U.S. law to protect them.” It’s important to acknowledge the iconic mammals are a favorite trophy target of hunters traveling to Africa; U.S. hunters imported 3,744 dead giraffes between 2006 and 2015. Four out of five of us express support for the Endangered Species Act. Knowing giraffes. Though they have been known to be victims of crocodiles, it is not a common occurrence. And an endangered listing would not altogether cancel out the struggle that federal authorities face in working with legal provisions that allow the importation of endangered species parts that are at least 100 years old. In 2017, a coalition of conservation groups (including NRDC) petitioned the U.S. When CITES confers conservation status on a species, it restricts the international trade in that creature. Standard giraffe pregnancies last 15 months, but the period of time is not set as it is for humans. How You Can Help. While traversing the landscape to feed all day, they are in actuality pruning and distributing seeds across the terrain, helping to keep the habitat managed for other wildlife to use. Instead it did nothing. Then it did nada. Of the threats facing the planet’s tallest mammals, habitat loss is one of the gravest. Though many governments are enacting new habitat management and protection for giraffes through conservation initiatives and improved law enforcement, community awareness is still struggling to keep up. The complex blood pressure system that the giraffe uses to regulate its gangly body has actually been used as inspiration by NASA in their development of human space suits. In the case of giraffes, we know that males have longer necks than females, and also engage in a male-male fighting over mates, referred to as “necking.”. Elly Pepper, deputy director of NRDC’s wildlife trade program, says giraffes are headed toward extinction. It is also believed that giraffes’ tall vantage point and excellent vision help them to spot danger early, and gives other herbivores in the area the “heads up” when carnivores are coming. Support WWF. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which implements the ESA, to recognize giraffes as endangered. Finally, the robust international trade in giraffes and their parts—a trade in which the United States plays a significant role—is a major factor in the species’ decline. Some of the causes behind the destruction of giraffes' habitat are also urban development and agriculture expansion. The West African Giraffe came close to extinction. Three of the nine giraffe subspecies are currently considered critically endangered. Giraffes Are Threatened with Extinction Giraffe numbers have plummeted over the past three decades. In 2016 it … Giraffes have already become extinct in seven African countries, so, while it is hard to believe that such a well-known species could be removed from an ecosystem, it has already happened in many places. Giraffes have been declared critically endangered in Kenya. Civil wars are a further challenge. A: Scientifically, yes. Why are giraffes endangered? The agency was required by law to respond within 90 days. Their physiology — their height and long necks — is so interesting that it has inspired centuries of scientists, trying to figure out what environmental events caused the giraffe to end up looking like it does. Giraffes are a keystone African herbivore. Giraffe babies, or calves, often fall prey to herds of carnivores, but, for the most part, giraffes are safe within their natural ecosystem. Yet in nature, there is no other animal that seems to have used this same technique; no other species with an elongated neck. Excellent for keeping a lookout for lions. Why don't giraffes drink much water? Recognition of their plight by the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) would also go a long way toward helping to save giraffes. Trade in giraffe parts is both legal and largely untracked in the United States because the government doesn’t currently recognize the species as endangered. Giraffes face mounting threats from habitat loss and fragmentation: Growing human populations and urban development — and the accompanying increase in agriculture, mines, and other extractive industries — are destroying giraffes' homes and converting their habitat for human use. We Made It Only Two Days Into the New Year Before a Species Went Extinct, Week 114: Trump’s EPA Questions if Air Pollution Really Kills (It Does), and Nearly 1,400 Endangered Species Get Sold Out, Poachers Abuse an International-Law Loophole to Sell Some of the Rarest Animals on Earth. Now the U.S. government must catch up with the scientific consensus. As he explains in the NatGeo video below, Hamlin was flying over Garamba National Park in June when he spotted three of the park’s critically endangered giraffes in a clearing. It is therefore surprising that people know so little about them, or that their survival in the wild is so threatened. Their conservation status was reclassified from a species of least concern to vulnerable in 2016 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in response to increased mortality rates brought on by habitat loss and illegal hunting. GIRAFFES will be labelled an endangered species, after a worrying population decline prompted petitions for the animal to be protected by law. Calls from their constituents will encourage them to pick up their own phones to help save these majestic animals. What is the key to their success?https://t.co/179Z5AnYTw pic.twitter.com/Qw7hXuBBQK. WHY ARE GIRAFFES ENDANGERED? The biggest effect of giraffes’ listing under the ESA would be a severe curtailing of importation and trade within the country. The population overall has declined 40 percent in 30 years, and there are now approximately 68,000 left in the wild. Giraffes are ubiquitous in our minds and hearts, as they have infiltrated our culture of imagination and wonder with their graceful splendor. On Thursday, at … How can you tell the difference between a captive-bred turtle and a wild-caught one? In what’s being called a “silent extinction,” Giraffe population numbers dropped from 155,000 in 1985 to 97,000 in 2015, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Of the nine subspecies of giraffes, Masai and reticulated giraffes are endangered, and Nubian and Kordofan giraffes are critically endangered. The fate of Achatinella apexfulva is a cautionary tale of decorative gardens, imported cannibals, and snail sex (or lack thereof). Giraffes are in serious trouble. Acacia trees and their seeds, a favorite food of giraffes, are not favored by other species so seed germination of this iconic African tree would be stymied without the germination effects of giraffes’ consumption. There is a newer hypothesis that addresses these questions and also reminds us that the ability to find a mate is not always reliant on our ability to feed ourselves, but to be attractive to the opposite sex. The declining numbers are due largely to poaching, habitat loss, human population growth and degradation of the giraffe's habitat. Nubian giraffes are a subspecies of northern giraffe, and just 2,645 are left in the wild. Why are giraffes important to the environment? Despite an increased focus on giraffe conservation in many of these zones, the wide distribution of giraffes across Africa makes their conservation plan complex at best. Their legs and neck are not the only thing about the giraffe that’s huge – their tongues can be up to two feet long! For most endangered species, challenges include habitat loss and poaching. The world's tallest land mammal has … Listed as Critically endangered 2 more subspecies are vulnerable according to the IUCN Learn more about the threats facing wild animals including giraffe. Around half of the giraffes in Africa today are Masai giraffes. While there are no wild giraffes in the U.S., Pepper said declaring the giraffes as an endangered species would sharply curtail the the international trade in bone carvings, skins, and trophies. Poaching also plays a major role in the decline, particularly in Tanzania, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and which actually forms a more disturbing part of a wider issue. Females, according to researchers, also seem to prefer larger males with longer necks. Cause behind giraffes becoming endangered. Jean Baptiste Lamarck used giraffes as an example of his theories, completely change the habitats around them, upgraded by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to “Vulnerable”, Why Is Genetic Diversity Important for Survival. A rare subspecies is being slaughtered for use as a dowry. Around ten years ago, a belief in the healing power of giraffe bone marrow and brains sprang up, with practitioners touting their ability to protect and cure people of HIV/AIDS. Greentumble is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The blood vessels in the giraffe’s lower legs bear a huge weight, and the giraffe has developed a complex pressure regulation system to keep all these factors in check. Habitat destruction is the leading reason Giraffes are endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the gold standard for assessing endangerment, has found that giraffes are “vulnerable,” meaning they face a “high risk” of extinction in the wild. Giraffes are currently in danger of extinction. Thornicrofts and West African giraffes, on the other hand, are considered to be "vulnerable," while the Rothschild’s giraffe is "near threatened." Members of Congress have a direct line of communication with decision makers at the U.S. Giraffe-hide rugs and clothing are also common, as are taxidermied body parts. 41. Greentumble was founded in the summer of 2015 by us, Sara and Ovi. Baby giraffes are born already six feet tall. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. So, a year and a half later, the coalition sued. Hunting giraffes is illegal in both Kenya and Tanzania, but they are poached for their hide, meat, bones, and tails. There are nine subspecies of giraffes and all are en… Giraffes have the biggest eyes among terrestrial mammals — their peripheral vision extends so wide that they can see behind themselves! Read more. So, as giraffes are distributed closer and further from the equator within Africa, they can be more specialized to withstand the direct sunlight they are subjected to during their long periods of open grazing. Giraffes are also threatened by the proliferation of disease, including a lesion-inducing skin disease that is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as inbreeding (a result of populations’ inability to intermix due to habitat fragmentation) and the increased frequency and magnitude of droughts associated with climate change. State Disclosures. Additionally, giraffes don’t actually have more cervical vertebrae in their necks than, say, humans. The population of Masai giraffes has declined by almost 50% in the last three decades. Where its power derives is in the thickness of the muscles around its heart, which can be measured getting thicker as the size of the giraffe increases and its blood supply demands grow. Elly Pepper, deputy director of NRDC’s Wildlife Trade Initiative, says there’s much that U.S. advocates can do to end the illegal marketplaces endangering animals across the globe. And finally it did bupkis. As poachers and oil drills threaten a recently war-torn national park, a team of rangers and scientists send an endangered herd on an epic journey. Giraffes, large-bodied grazing mammals, need 140 pounds of leaves each day, necessitating their traverse over huge distances daily in order to get enough to eat. They are instantly recognizable. Many people, including conservationists, remain unaware that the world’s tallest animal is experiencing a silent slide towards extinction. The giraffe population is not any different. Here are the four main struggles: The theory rests on the idea that the ability to not rely on high competition vegetation that was lower to the ground gave the giraffes with longer necks the ability to be be healthy, reproduce, and transmit those long-necked genes to their offspring. Illegal hunting is also a problem for the species. Giraffes can still be found in 21 African countries, and in zoos in almost every part of the world. Similarly, the Nubian giraffe population is down 98 percent and lives only on protected lands in Kenya. Giraffes don't drink much because they get most of their water from a leafy diet, only drinking every few days. As an iconic animal of Africa’s savannah, it would be heartbreaking to lose the symbol of the wild – that silhouette of the giraffe on the sunset horizon of the savannah, yet it could be a strong possibility if action is not taken soon. There are situations in which trade in giraffe parts might still be permitted, such as for use in research, education, and activities to help propagate the species. Giraffe’s spots are most importantly for camouflage, but they also house a sophisticated system of blood vessels that help the giraffe to release heat. Also known as the Nigerien giraffe, the West … Our goal is to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviors toward a more sustainable life. By LOUISE DEWAST. Their extinction would be tragic enough by itself, but if the reason was that no one was looking hard enough, it would not only be tragic but shameful. Giraffes with a longer neck also typically get to enjoy a higher rank within the social hierarchy, allowing them to dominate other males and, statistically, mate more frequently, giving them a “leg up” on transmitting those long-necked genes. Given that fact, plus the alarmingly vigorous trade in giraffe parts in the United States, endangered status would trigger several important protections for the species. We are working hard to improve our content. Then it did zilch. And, of course, spreading the word about the marvels of the giraffe, extending past just its long neck. © Natural Resources Defense Council 2020 Privacy Policy In some countries, like Mali, the giraffe has disappeared completely. Fish and Wildlife Service who have the power to grant protection to giraffes. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation is working to provide giraffes with new safe spaces. Support organizations, like NRDC, that are fighting to save giraffes, as well as on-the-ground organizations like the Giraffe Conservation Fund. NRDC conservation expert Sylvia Fallon offers tips for being a better neighbor to local animals. Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty. “We have a huge awareness problem,” Pepper says. That law covers any species that is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.”. And for some of the nine subspecies, this risk is imminent. They have the ability to completely change the habitats around them.. A primary contributor to the giraffes’ loss of habitat is conversion of woodlands into farms and ranches. “Giraffes are in serious danger of extinction, and that is why the U.S. Giraffes may look all the same, but in the wild, there are actually four species of giraffes: Though it has been reported that giraffes have cross-bred in zoos, all of these species and their subspecies live in very geographically distinct areas across the continent of Africa, and very infrequently overlap in the wild. One of the biggest sellers is giraffe bone, which has become a replacement for elephant ivory in knife and gun handles. (It can be exceedingly difficult for a customs official to determine the age of a piece of elephant ivory or giraffe bone.). Giraffes are curiously ungainly animals. Having such a long neck isn’t all easy, though. Sudan, which was home to some 13,000 giraffes in the early 1980s, now shelters a population numbering only in the hundreds; its war has increased wildlife trafficking and poaching. As with the endangerment or extinction of any animal or plant species now, humans are at the root of it. “Giraffes are undergoing a silent extinction, having declined 40 percent over the past 30 years, though few seem to know this,” Pepper says. December 3, 2014, 3:31 PM • … They were such an iconic part of the African landscape that it was assumed they were in no danger and little focus was paid to research and protection. At the time, Garamba was home to just 40 Kordofan giraffes ― the only remaining population in the Congo. It’s important that U.S. authorities get moving. Currently the members of the convention are mulling over a proposal to list the species, brought forth by the giraffe range states of the Central African Republic, Chad, Kenya, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. Of the nine subspecies of giraffes, Masai and reticulated giraffes are endangered, and Nubian and Kordofan giraffes are critically endangered. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature states that the giraffe population has gone down by over 40% in the past 30 years. We will keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. When we say that "giraffes are a vulnerable species" we are referring to officially vulnerable status. Charcoal is another challenge: Africa’s charcoal industry is booming, with many Africans making their living harvesting trees and burning the wood to form the lumpy black fuel. If you explained it through the application of a basic Darwinian methodology, the giraffes developed a unique ecological niche through the evolution of a long neck by experiencing gradual anatomical changes that allowed them to reach resources, in this case, leaves, that were higher and unattainable to other species. The Reticulated, Thornicroft’s and West African giraffes are also listed as Endangered or Vulnerable. Thanks for signing up. They have the ability to completely change the habitats around them. Giraffes in Danger of Extinction: Why Their Numbers Have Dropped The population has dwindled across Africa for several reasons. And contact your representatives in Congress to let them know that you are concerned about the silent extinction crisis facing giraffes. Giraffes used to range continuously through much of the African savanna, but they now live in a handful of communities scattered in clumps across the continent. Interior’s Bernhardt helped bury a damning pesticide report, the Clean Air Committee goes soft on soot, and Trump nominates a climate change denier to the Fed board. Two subspecies (Kordofan and Nubian giraffe), are now listed as Critically Endangered, Reticulated giraffe as Endangered, Thornicroft’s giraffe as Vulnerable, while Angolan giraffe are listed as Least Concern. Many animals are killed in order to feed those who hunt, but the demand from other countries for bush meat is also high (and much of which is actually exported to Europe and elsewhere). They’re being considered for ‘endangered’ status. Giraffes are a threatened species and many of their populations are endangered and declining.. A giraffe’s blood pressure is extremely high – twice that found in a healthy human, and its heart beats up to 170 times per minute. This conservation rank means the animal is facing extinction in the wild in the coming future if efforts are not made to minimize threats to either habitat or life.. Hawaiians will never again hear the song of George the Snail. Check your local zoo and see how they are helping giraffes in the wild. They are very well-known in the Western world, thanks their presence at zoos and the popularity of toys like Sophie the giraffe or Geoffrey the Giraffe, the mascot of the now-defunct chain, Toys ‘R Us, or April, the perpetually pregnant giraffe whose live birthing garnered millions of online viewers. Many zoos have robust giraffe-specific conservation programs, and need support in particular because these species are not on the public’s radar as one that is in danger of going extinct. Legally, not yet. In the wild, they can be found in a number of differently protected areas, from government-run national parks to private or communal lands. So, if a giraffe was trying to reach leaves that were too high, it would be able to stretch and eventually lengthen its own neck to reach them. Let us know if you liked this article. But until now, no international regulations governed their trade. Its attackers should take note. “These important steps will vastly increase public consciousness of the plight of giraffes.”. Giraffes occur in countries with the highest fertility rates in the world, so human encroachment is a threat that will only continue to grow. Giraffes are also believed to be pollinators, as they go from tree to tree, blossom to blossom, across large distances. “Giraffes Endangered!” – a phrase that seems to be making headlines these days. An important international agreement for stopping illegal wildlife trade deserves our attention—and now. Their proposal would ensure that all traded giraffe parts were legally acquired and not taken from poached giraffes. Part of the reason why giraffes have suffered from such a drastic decline is simply because no one was really paying attention. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. It is hard to imagine that they are not equally abundant in the wild, but the assumption that they are and the subsequent lack of public support for conservation programs to save them is putting the survival of the giraffe across Africa in jeopardy. Giraffes are a keystone African herbivore. In Niger, where many giraffes have been struck by cars, the population is so small and isolated that conservation officials have taken the drastic step of transporting some of the animals to a safer space. The next steps are endangered, critically endangered, extinct in the wild and extinct. While heavy machinery keeps spraying #monocrops with #pesticides and #fertilizers, millions of #family #farmers are applying agroecological approaches to redress those impacts and revive #rural areas. Severed giraffe heads and bones can fetch up to $140 each, making this a highly tempting option for potential poachers. As a result, giraffe population has decreased 40% … Because conservation is working—and success should be celebrated. There are four main challenges that giraffes face that have caused the drop in population over the years. But as human population numbers rise, and settlements are established that require the cutting of trees, habitat loss becomes a huge threat to all species of giraffe. Though it was thought that the giraffe has a “huge” heart to accomplish all this pumping and beating, it actually has a relatively small heart. At any given moment, even a modestly savvy internet shopper can find thousands of products made from giraffe parts online. And face a multitude of threats, from habitat loss, human population growth and degradation of the nine,... 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With longer necks © Natural Resources Defense Council 2020 Privacy Policy State.! Based on our love for nature, critically endangered on this planet than African elephants. ” 'll receive first! Bones can fetch up to $ 140 each, making this a highly tempting option for poachers!, extending past just its long neck we have a direct line communication! That were a bit of a stretch the threats facing wild animals including giraffe almost... Half of those live in Murchison Falls National Park as a means of survival their cervical vertebrae in necks... One of the threats facing the planet ’ s important that U.S. authorities get moving left this. On a species, after a worrying population decline prompted petitions for the endangered,... World 's tallest land mammal has … giraffe populations living in proximity steps are endangered, critically endangered well on-the-ground... Petitioned the U.S giraffes left on this planet than African elephants. ” 'critically endangered ' as encroach... We say that `` giraffes are hunted for their hide, meat, bones, and Nubian and giraffes. These new listings sound the alarm, there is reportedly one giraffe for every four African,! Crisis facing giraffes international agreement for stopping illegal Wildlife trade deserves our attention—and now that. Some young males Resources Defense Council 2020 Privacy Policy State Disclosures and of... Of those live in similar landscapes slide towards extinction extinction crisis facing giraffes are to! And lives only on protected lands in Kenya, Sara and Ovi danger of extinction throughout all or a portion. % in the face of ever-growing pressure on their livelihoods, some Sudanese have turned... Their size, particularly their legs and feet, give them a mighty kick that deter! Being considered for ‘ endangered ’ status the West African giraffe and some young males,... Africa today are Masai giraffes has declined 40 percent in 30 years, just.

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