The Masai Giraffe subspecies has become the latest species to be declared an endangered species. The endangered species list has grown with these animals being declared an endangered species.
Why Have Masai Giraffes Been Listed As An Endangered Species?
Masai Giraffes have became an endangered species because their population has dropped considerably. These animals have declined as much as 50% in just the last three decades. Because the Masai Giraffe has seen their population halved, it has resulted in them becoming an endangered species. It has also resulted in this endangered species losing a considerable amount of their population in just a short amount of time.
New data shows that the Masai Giraffe has been declared an endangered species because their population now has only 35,000 individuals. Their population isn’t as low as many other endangered species. However, due to their low population and how fast they have declined in the past thirty years, these animals are classed as an endangered species and are vulnerable to extinction in the future - if their numbers keep declining at the same speed as they have declined in the past thirty years, then this endangered animal could become extinct within our lifetime.
What Has Caused The Masai Giraffe To Become an Endangered Species?
Poaching
Poaching is one of the main reasons that these animals have become an endangered species. Their new endangered species status is a result of the Masai Giraffe being hunted by humans.
These animals have been hunted for humans to use the body parts of the giraffes. These body parts of the giraffe are being used in ‘medicine’ and used for things like jewellery for women. The Masai Giraffe has been declining rapidly because of poaching in East Africa.
It is well-known that rhinos and elephants in Africa are poached for their body parts. However, the poaching of giraffes for their body parts makes little to no headlines. This makes giraffes particularly vulnerable to poaching, as there is a lack of media attention on these endangered species and the threats that they face from things like poaching. This is why the situation with giraffes is being called ‘’the silent extinction’’.
We often hear about how elephants and rhinos are hunted for their horns and tusks, and are therefore, threatened with extinction because of it. However it’s not just endangered species like elephants, or rhinos that have been declining rapidly through poaching, giraffes have also suffered dramatically because of poaching, they just aren’t getting the same attention as rhinos and elephants, which threatens these endangered species more. As, a lack of attention means that giraffes will continue to face the silent extinction.
One of the main reasons that giraffes have been hunted to death, is due to poachers hunting them to death for their tails: poachers have killed giraffes for their tails to profit off these beautiful animals. In the mid 1980s, the total giraffe population stood at 155,000 giraffes. Today, the giraffe population has greatly diminished, their population now stands at 68,293 giraffes, however, the last time that the total giraffe population was assessed by the IUCN was in 2016, which was three years ago, it’s likely that the giraffe population has declined even more.
It’s likely that the giraffe population has declined even more because of the reports that have been out over the last few months - three subspecies of giraffe have been classed as an endangered species or a critically endangered species. In December 2018, two subspecies of giraffe were classified as a critically endangered species. Those two critically endangered species of giraffe are: the Korofan giraffe and the Nubian giraffe. And now, the Masai giraffe has been declared an endangered species. There are nine subspecies of giraffe and three of these subspecies have been classed as an endangered species or a critically endangered species in the last few months alone.
Poaching isn’t the only reason why many subspecies of giraffe are being reclassified as endangered species, another threat to their existence is: habitat loss.
Habitat Loss
Another reason why giraffes have been declining, is because of habitat loss.
There are several reasons why there is habitat loss in the ecosystem that giraffes depend upon. But, these reasons all come down to one factor: human expansion on those ecosystems. This results in the habitat that giraffes rely upon being destroyed, because humans are destroying it to make way for human settlements - such as homes. More human settlements mean less habitat for wild animals like giraffes, and therefore, when there is less land for them to live in their population suffers and declines, because it means that there is less room for them to eat and live.
The biggest threat to the Masai giraffe, when it comes to habitat loss, is that they are losing land for agricultural purposes. Humans have been destroying the Masai giraffes habitat to use the land for agriculture, this in turn has been a main reason why these animals are now an endangered species and continue to decline in population today.
Bushmeat and Traditional Medicine
A final reason why the masai giraffe is now classed as an endangered species, and has declined tremendously, is because these beautiful animals have declined due to people hunting these giraffes for their meat and for traditional medicines. Wild animals being killed for the bushmeat trade is one of the main threats to many wild animals in Africa. There are many different animals who suffer and are killed because of the bushmeat trade, this includes giraffes and gorillas. Because animals like these are hunted for their meat, it is resulting in these animals declining rapidly and is one of the main reasons why they are at risk of becoming extinct. The bushmeat trade is one of the reasons that the Masai giraffe is now an endangered species, and is now at risk of extinction, but it is not the only reason.
Another reason why the Masai giraffe is now an endangered species and risks becoming extinct, is due to them being killed for traditional medicine. This is another common problem for endangered species across the world. For example, the tiger and many other big cats around the world are at risk of becoming extinct because these animals are hunted for traditional medicine, it is also one of the main reasons why these big cats are classed as endangered species. And, it is also a reason why the endangered species - the Masai giraffe - is at risk of becoming extinct in the future.
A Collection Of Reasons For Endangered Species Status
There are a collection of reasons why the Masai giraffe now has endangered species status. They have endangered species status for three main reasons.
The first reason that these giraffes have endangered species status, is because of poaching. One of the main reasons that the Masai giraffe has been classed as an endangered species is due to them being poached so that people can use the giraffes body parts in things such as jewelry. Poaching could be one of the reasons that this endangered species becomes extinct.
Another reason why the Masai giraffe is now an endangered species, is due to habitat loss. This habitat loss has resulted in a population decline and therefore, endangered species status for the Masai giraffe. If habitat loss continues, then it could be another reason why this endangered species becomes extinct. A loss of habitat is one of the reasons that there are more animals being classed as endangered species and more endangered species becoming extinct.
And, finally, another reason why the Masai giraffe is now an endangered species, is due to them being killed for bushmeat and traditional medicine. It is a collection of these reasons why the Masai giraffe is now an endangered species, and why this endangered species could become extinct.
Sources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/07/masai-giraffes-subspecies-declared-endangered/
https://giraffeconservation.org/programmes/kenya-masai/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38240760
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/why-wild-giraffes-are-suffering-a-silent-extinction
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9194/136266699
https://www.earth.com/news/giraffe-subspecies-critically-endangered/
https://www.earth.com/news/giraffe-subspecies-critically-endangered/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/clip/e3fb964a-aa3f-47c7-b1c9-8689862a78f5