The Giraffe population has declined by 40% - something which could see these beautiful and unique animals becoming classed as an endangered species.
In just over 30 years, the Giraffe population has declined by almost half. The Giraffe population has declined dramatically since 1985; declining dramatically, the Giraffe population has now almost halved in just a small space of time.
Two Subspecies Already Critically Endangered
Two subspecies of Giraffe have already been added to the critically endangered species list. The two subspecies of Giraffe which have now been classed as critically endangered species are: the Kordofan Giraffe and the Nubian Giraffe.
Both of these subspecies of Giraffe have a fragile population.
The Kordofan Giraffe population is only 2,000 individuals.
The Nubian Giraffe population is only 2,645 individuals.
We are already at risk of losing these two Giraffe subspecies within our lifetime. And sadly, we are at risk of losing Giraffes as a whole.
Giraffes In Danger Of Becoming Extinct
Giraffes are now at risk of becoming extinct. As the Giraffe population continues to decline, Giraffes are now facing a silent extinction.
Giraffes are facing a silent extinction, because there is little to no global attention being drawn to these beautiful animals, and their plight.
Wild animals declining - becoming endangered - and silently slipping into extinction, is becoming all to more common today. We are seeing the same trend globally: wild animals more frequently, are becoming endangered and critically endangered, due to human activity. This is due to humans hunting animals, and destroying their habitats. It is resulting in a dramatic decline of the world's wildlife.
From the UK, to Africa, the Americas and Asia - all around the world, wild animals are silently slipping into a state of being critically endangered.
Giraffes are part of this trend.
Why Are Giraffes Threatened With Extinction?
There are a few reasons why Giraffes are threatened with extinction.
Here are some of the main threats to the Giraffe:
. Habitat loss and destruction
. Human population increase
. Being poached by people
. Being hunted for their meat
. Being hunted for their skins and tails
. War and civil unrest in the countries they live in
All of these things combined are resulting in Giraffes declining, them becoming an endangered species, and these things combined: threatened their existence.
A combination of these things could result in the Giraffe becoming extinct.
What Is The Status Of Other Giraffe Subspecies?
The Reticulated Giraffe
The Reticulated Giraffe is currently classed as endangered by the IUCN Red list. There are only 11, 048 remaining of these wild animals left.
The Rothchild’s Giraffe
The Rothchild’s Giraffe is only listed at ‘Near Threatened’ - which is one step away from becoming an endangered species. However, their actual population suggests the Rothchild’s Giraffe is critically endangered, as there are only 1,399 of them left in the wild. The good news however, is that the IUCN Red List lists their population as an increasing one: meaning that their population is increasing.
The South African Giraffe
The South African Giraffe (which is also known as the Cape Giraffe) population is 37,000 individuals. But they are thought to be vulnerable.
The Southern Giraffe has not been assessed.
The West African Giraffe
The West African Giraffe is an endangered species. They have been something of a conservation success story, as their population was only 45 individual Giraffes in the 1990s. Now, their population is about 600 individuals.
These wild animals are still endangered though.
The Angolan Giraffe
The Angolan Giraffe is listed as being of ‘least concern’. The population of the Angolan Giraffe is 17,750 individuals.
The Rhodesian Giraffe
The Rhodesian Giraffe (also known as Thornicroft’s Giraffe), is a critically endangered species. There are only 550 of these wild animals left.
The Reality Of The Worlds Giraffes
The reality for Giraffes in the world is a bleak one. Most of the Giraffe subspecies are either endangered, or critically endangered.
In other words, most of the subspecies of Giraffes are at risk of becoming extinct within our lifetime. Their populations aren’t healthy. And they are vulnerable to extinction. Giraffes as a whole are in decline, and at risk of becoming extinct.
The Latest News On Giraffes
Due to the Giraffe population being vulenerable, at risk of extinction and in decline, the US government has recently said that it is considering classing Giraffes as an endangered species - which is a positive move to help save these animals. Giraffes could be put on the US Endangered Species Act in an effort to protect these animals from becoming extinct in the future.
How You Can Help Protect and Save Giraffes
You too can help protect and save Giraffes.
You can help protect and save Giraffes by adopting a Giraffe with the WWF. You can adopt a Giraffe with the WWF - here.
Sources:
https://www.irishpost.com/news/giraffes-added-endangered-species-list-animals-threat-extinction-163050 https://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/giraffe-critically-endangered
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/why-wild-giraffes-are-suffering-a-silent-extinction
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38240760
https://giraffeconservation.org/facts/what-are-the-main-threats-to-giraffe-why-are-their-numbers-declining/
https://defenders.org/giraffe/basic-facts
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/88420717/88420720
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/174469/51140829
https://giraffeconservation.org/programmes/niger/
https://giraffeconservation.org/giraffe-species/
https://giraffeconservation.org/2018/11/14/giraffe-subspecies-update/
https://africageographic.com/blog/fascinating-facts-thornicrofts-giraffe/
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/giraffes-head-for-endangered-species-status-as-numbers-sink-mbsw75nxk
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/25/giraffes-close-endangered-species-act-protection/3578292002/