A Tall Order: The Conservation of Giraffes
The
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of
threatened animals, which evaluates species’ risks of extinction, classifies
giraffes as low risk “conservation dependent.” In other words, special conservation
efforts are needed for the giraffe species to live on into the future. Though
giraffes are not currently endangered, their numbers have declined over the
years, with several subspecies becoming increasingly rare. For example there
are only 400 Rothschild giraffes, and 445 Uganda giraffes remaining in the wild
today!
Sadly,
big time hunters travel far distances and pay thousands of dollars to
experience hunting a giraffe, a practice known as trophy hunting. In some
African countries, this controversial, but legal practice actually helps the
community financially and provides food for the people. Although poaching
negatively affects the giraffe population, habitat loss and destruction from
human construction is the biggest danger to giraffes and other animals in
Africa. As the human population grows, giraffe territory is taken over,
resulting in giraffe extinction in numerous countries. Luckily, the majority of
humans admire this peaceful animal and are awed by their appearance, which
means giraffes are never killed by humans out of fear. Additionally, farmers
typically do not mind giraffes because they do not eat their crops or compete
with their cattle for food.
The
future livelihood of this unique animal rests in conservation efforts of
giraffe habitats in the wild and on private land. Various organizations, like
the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, have made it their missions to work
against giraffe extinction in the future.
Interesting
fact of the week: Sadly, the Nigerian giraffe has actually become extinct in
Nigeria! These giraffes can only be found in Chad.
Works Cited
"Conservation Status." Born Free: Keep Wildlife in the Wild. Born Free Foundation. Web. 14 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.bornfree.org.uk/ animals/giraffe/conservation/>.
"Giraffe - The Facts." GCF Home. Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://www.giraffeconservation.org/giraffe_facts.phppgid=51>.
"Giraffe." National Zoo. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/AfricanSavanna/fact-giraffe.cfm>.
"Mammals: Giraffe." San Diego Zoo's Animal Bytes: Giraffe. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-giraffe.html>.
This was a great post. I am sad to hear that the Nigerian giraffe is extinct. I can't even imagine what it would be like to eat giraffe and I found it very interesting that in many countries it would be a normal food source. Furthermore, habitat destruction is a huge threat to so many animals. More people should be aware of how their actions can affect the well-being of other animals. Thanks for the great information!
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