If you&rsquore a wildlife enthusiast and a fan of the beautiful long-necked mammals, you may have heard that Giraffe numbers have diminished by a shocking 40 per cent over the past three decades. Its numbers have dwindled to just a mere 100,000 in the wild due to development, agriculture, and resource harvesting. Other reasons include commercial trade, hunting, and poaching (for giraffe bones, skin, and meat), disease and small population dynamics, and genetic isolation, among others.
The petition to protect Giraffes was filed by a coalition of conservation groups in April 2017 stating that the giraffes are in danger of extinction. If classified as endangered, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service will get underway with imposing restrictions upon taking, possessing, transporting or possessing giraffes or their body parts.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 could help the species by targetting the restoration of critical habitat areas and in the development and implementation of recovery plans for listed species under the act. With the numbers of the giraffes in Sub Saharan Africa now less than the African elephants, it is now urgent that the attention is turned to save this unique animal species before it becomes too late.
