Poaching has become increasingly problematic. “The giraffes face two main threats, encroachment from cities and towns into their habitat and poaching. It may come as a shock that three of the currently recognized nine subspecies are now considered ‘Critically Endangered’ or ‘Endangered’, but we have been sounding the alarm for a few years now.” While giraffe populations in southern Africa are doing just fine, the world’s tallest animal is under severe pressure in some of its core ranges across East, Central and West Africa.
“Whilst giraffes are commonly seen on safari, in the media, and in zoos, people, including conservationists, are unaware that these majestic animals are undergoing a silent extinction. Julian Fennessy, a co-chair of the IUCN Special Survival Commission, says: “Two specific subspecies – the Kordofan and Nubian – were reclassified as ‘Critically Endangered’, with populations dwindling quickest in wild areas of Eritrea, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Malawi, Mauritania, and Senegal.”Īll nine giraffe species struggle to increase their numbers and have suffered a lot due to mining, poaching, agriculture, and construction across Africa.ĭr. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported that their number has dropped by 40% over the last three decades, which made them enter the “vulnerable” category of the Red List of Threatened Species.
The newest consequence of these actions led to the addition of two subspecies of giraffes to a list of endangered animals, meaning they are under threat of extinction. Unfortunately, the human activity in the natural habitats of animals usually does more harm than good. PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER STANLEY, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC YOUR SHOT