The population has been slowly dropping over the last 30 years.
Giraffes have become one of the most majestic animals found on this Earth but according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the long-necked animal is becoming vulnerable to extinction.
Over the past 30 years, the giraffe population has declined dramatically with around 155,000 in 1985 to 97,000 in 2015 – that’s a 30 percent drop. It’s believed that with so much attention on the declining populations of other animals such as rhinos and elephants, the giraffe has dropped under the radar.
“If you go on a safari, giraffes are everywhere,” Dr Julian Fennessy, who chairs the IUCN giraffe specialist group, told BBC News. “While there have been great concern about elephants and rhinos, giraffes have gone under the radar but, unfortunately, their numbers have been plummeting, and this is something that we were a little shocked about, that they have declined by so much in so little time.”
It’s thought increasing human populations and farming areas in the giraffe’s natural habitat could be a reason for the slow decline. Also troubled times in Africa has lead to more giraffes being hunted for food.
“In these war torn areas, in northern Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia in the border area with South Sudan, essentially the giraffes are war fodder, a large animal, extremely curious that can feed a lot of people,” said Dr Fennessy.
Despite the bad news in certain parts of Africa, South Africa has seen an increase in their giraffe population due to more emphasis on conservation and wildlife management. The giraffe’s new addition to the IUCN list of vulnerable populations will hopefully raise more awareness to conservation efforts throughout Africa.
To see the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species visit their website here.