Giraffes Set To Join The Endangered Species List As Population Numbers

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One-day-old baby giraffe calf Gus looks at the camera at Noah’s Ark farm on May 12, 2017 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
4:20 PM – Thursday, November 21, 2024

The wild giraffe population in the savannas of Africa have seen a sharp decrease, prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to attempt to protect the species by submitting a proposal to add giraffes to the Endangered Species Act.

Poaching, habitat loss, urbanization and droughts have threatened the species, marking the first ever proposal for giraffe protection.

“Federal protections for giraffes will help protect a vulnerable species, foster biodiversity, support ecosystem health, combat wildlife trafficking, and promote sustainable economic practices,” stated U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams. “This action supports giraffe conservation while ensuring the United States does not contribute further to their decline.”

West African, Kordofan, and Nubian giraffes are all subspecies included in the endangered species proposal as their population has declined by 77% since 1985.

Have you heard? Two tiny towers just joined the herd. 🦒🦒 Giraffe populations have declined up to 40% in the last 30 years, and @USFWS conducted a review of an Endangered Species Act petition to list giraffes as endangered. Every giraffe is precious. #endextinction pic.twitter.com/IZUpmSgNgj

— San Diego Zoo Safari Park (@sdzsafaripark) June 5, 2019

The United States has long been a significant importer of giraffe parts and products, resulting in roughly 40,000 imports over a decade, according to a 2018 Humane Society report.

The protection seeks to prevent poachers from killing the animals by limiting giraffe import numbers, which would typically be used to make rugs, jewelry, shoes, and trophy items.

The overall population has seen a decline from over 150,000 giraffes in 1985, to roughly 98,000 in 2015.

If the proposal is finalized, the law would prop up giraffe research and conservation efforts. Additionally, it would limit giraffe imports by requiring a permit.

The Fish and Wildlife Service submitted the protection act after a lawsuit was filed by environmentalists in 2021, requiring the organization to make a decision regarding giraffe protections by November of this year.

The 2021 lawsuit followed after the Fish and Wildlife Service failed to respond to 2017 petitions from the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council, along with other environmentalist groups.

The proposal is expected to be finalized within the next year.

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