Giraffes on the US list of endangered species

Giraffes could soon be included in the American list of endangered animals. This was revealed by the Washington Post, citing a proposal from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. In the savannas of Africa, populations of the world-famous long-necked animals are declining, which is why the US government would like to add some types to its official list of endangered species. It is the first time that the elegant spotted mammal, which can exceed 5 meters in height, has been officially considered endangered and therefore deserving of special protection. The objective is to repress poaching by preventing the trafficking of trophies and products that use parts of their bodies as raw materials (especially leather).

“Federal protections for giraffes will help protect a vulnerable species, promote biodiversity, support ecosystem health, combat wildlife trafficking, and promote sustainable economic practices,” the Fish director said in a statement and Wildlife Service Martha Williams, quoted by the newspaper of the US capital.

If in 1985 the giraffe population was estimated at over 150 thousand specimens, in 2015 they dropped to 98 thousand, due to habitat loss due to rapid urbanization, drought fueled by climate change, poaching for local wild animal meat and foreign trade. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, a network that monitors the status of plants and animals, recognized several subspecies of giraffe as critically endangered as early as 2018.

The US is now proposing to declare three subspecies of northern giraffe endangered: the West African giraffe, the Kordofan giraffe and the Nubian giraffe, whose overall population has collapsed by 77 percent since 1985, from around 26,000 to just 6,000. . These giraffes live mainly in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Uganda. However, two other subspecies in East Africa, the reticulated giraffe and the Masai giraffe, are considered one step away from the danger level.