Suffering In Silence

 Author : Sanjay Kumar Anand

Hello everyone! What comes to your mind when you think of Africa? A vast grassland with lions and hyenas prowling around and perhaps some elephants and zebras eating plants. We also know that many of these animals are endangered and many steps have been taken to conserve them. But what about giraffes? Are they not vulnerable and have they not been exploited like elephants and cheetahs? So, in this blog, we are going to take a look at the conservation of giraffes and what is their status in the world.

Historically, the giraffe has been an overlooked species, with conversation efforts largely focusing on other African animals like elephants, lions, and rhinos. Hence, the latest report on the dramatic drop in the giraffe population has come as a shock to animal lovers. For many years, giraffes have been listed under the 'least concern' category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global authority on the conservation status of wild animals and plants.

In 2016, this changed when the IUCN listed the animal as vulnerable, with data showing that the giraffe species had seen a significant population decline. The latest global IUCN Red List of threatened species reveals that two of the giraffe species have been critically endangered. Between 1985 and 2015, their numbers across Africa has fallen by 40%- from 155,000 to 97,000. Today, the total number of adult giraffes in the wild is just 68,293 according to the IUCN.

In Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, the number of subspecies-reticulated giraffes- has fallen 60% in the last three decades. The rarer Nubian giraffe, meanwhile, has suffered a tragic decline of 97%. In Central Africa, the Kordofan has witnessed an 85% decrease. The sharp decline has come as a shock to giraffe lovers and conservationists.
So, this is it for this blog, and I will see you in my next one!

By - Sanjay Anand