Africa’s gentle giant the giraffe is facing a silent extinction event if change does not occur soon, according a new documentary featuring world renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
It is estimated that there are now only around 90,000 giraffes roaming the African plains, and this number is far fewer than that of even the endangered African elephant.
150 years ago giraffe numbers were around 2 million. This fell to around 1.4 million in the early millennium and there are now just 90,000 left in the wild.
The reasons that giraffe numbers are falling so rapidly is twofold:
Habitat Loss
Giraffes, like animals all around the world, are suffering from human expansion into their traditional habitats and this is putting increasing pressure on the population. As the giraffes are forced into smaller and smaller areas the competition for food and water becomes too much and many begin to die.
Poaching
Due to their large size giraffes are often targeted by poachers for their meat, and the African Wildlife Foundation says that they are “easily killed.” Giraffe poaching incidents are on the increase and this is a major part of the reason as to why the numbers are falling.
With the giraffe numbers dropping so rapidly, it is crucial that people come together to raise awareness of an issue that many do not realise is even happening.
It is not all doom and gloom however, as a protection programme for the giraffes in Niger, West Africa, has seen number quadruple since it was introduced in the 1990’s! The number has grown from a paltry 50 to a more sustainable 200 in the space of around 15 years.
This just goes to show that if giraffe conservation efforts can work, but unless people start making noise, this silent extinction will carry on until it is too late.
