An alarm has been raised on the vulnerability of the Giraffe due to a deep decline of the species over the last 30 years
According to a survey carried out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the tallest land mammal has been estimated to have declined to 36 – 40 percent decline in population, at least five sub-species anyway. Three other sub-species of the giraffe are said to be increasing and one is stable.
“.. People – including conservationists – are unaware that these majestic animals are undergoing a silent extinction. With a decline of almost 40% in the last three decades alone, the world’s tallest animal is under severe pressure in some of its core ranges across East, Central and West Africa. As one of the world’s most iconic animals, it is timely that we stick our necks out for giraffe before it is too late,” says Dr. Julian Fennessy, co-chair of the IUCN SSC GOSG
The majestic mammal is found mostly in southern and eastern Africa, with smaller isolated populations in west and central Africa. Giraffes are facing extinction due to human population leading to habitat loss, illegal hunting, increasing human-wildlife conflict and civil unrest in some countries.
Scientists give four distinct species of giraffe instead of only one; however, the IUCN currently only recognizes giraffe as one species.
