Why We Need To Start Sticking Our Necks Out For Giraffes

Giraffes are a symbolic species. When you think of Africa, you think of certain species. All over the news and social media we hear that elephants, rhinos and tigers are going extinct. There would never be anything wrong with giraffes, right? Wrong

Most people think giraffes are fine, yet they don't even know hardly anything about them, like their range

Michaël Szadkowski / Via Twitter: @szadkowski_m

Remember when Delta thought giraffes were in Ghana?

Giraffes have limited ranges, located largely outside of protected areas

Giraffe Conservation Foundation / Via giraffeconservation.org

Delta was just a little bit off. Also, at least 7 countries have had their giraffe populations go extinct. Interestingly enough, some countries have three giraffe subspecies yet in the wild those species don't breed with each other. This is thought to be due to seasonal rains.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/weather-prevents-different-giraffe-species-from-interbreeding-4766316/?no-ist

Giraffes are going through a silent extinction, which has not reached the general public

Via giphy.com

Do I have your attention now? Keep reading

The overall giraffe population has declined by 40% since 1999, as reported by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF)

Via giphy.com

It gets worse

The different subspecies of giraffes aren't doing so well either

John H. Probert / Via John H. Probert

Imagine a Northern White Rhino situation in the future, except with giraffes. Here's a photograph I took of a Northern White Rhino at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.

Six of the different giraffe subspecies number less than 5,000 individuals

GCF / Via giraffeconservation.org

The giraffe subspecies highlighted in red are listed as Endangered under the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). There is current research that all nine subspecies will be listed as some variation of Threatened by the IUCN in 2016.

The Rothschild's Giraffe almost went extinct, and is still facing threats to its survival

Rothschild's Giraffe Project- Research / Via girafferesearch.com

The Rothschild's Giraffe is down to 1,100 individuals

Reticulated Giraffes are down to 4,700 individuals, a decline of 80% in the past 15 years

John H. Probert (Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya) / Via John Probert

At this rate, Reticulated Giraffes will be extinct by 2019.

Giraffe subspecies overall face a constant threat: Poaching

Rothschild's Giraffe Project / Via scholar.google.com

Giraffes provide an easy source of meat. In addition, there is now a belief in Tanzania that Giraffe bone marrow and brains can be used as a cure for HIV/AIDS. Giraffe body parts (heads and bones) can be sold for greater than $140 USD.

Human population growth isn't helping either

John Probert (Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya) / Via John Probert

A growing human population is resulting in the loss of habitat, which can lead to the isolation of populations, causing inbreeding.

However, there is still a way to turn this around

John Probert (Soysambu Conservancy, Kenya) / Via John H. Probert

People all across not just Africa, but the entire world can stand tall for giraffes.

Support World Giraffe Day on June 21st!

GCF / Via worldgiraffeday.org

Post, share and tweet to raise awareness about the giraffe conservation issue.

Donate to Operation Twiga!

worldgiraffeday.org / Via worldgiraffeday.org

Operation Twiga is working to establish new populations of Rothschild's giraffes in Uganda. They have a goal of raising $100,000 to fund the project. An NGO, the Leiden Conservation Foundation, has pledged to match all donations from $1,000 up to $25,000.

Or Reticulated Giraffe Conservation with Pastoralists. They are close to meeting their goal!

GCF/Reticulated Giraffe Conservation with Pastoralists / Via giraffeconservation.org

This project works in Northern Kenya to help better understand giraffe ecology and how they interact with herders.

Share this, and help raise awareness about the plight of the giraffe!

giphy / Via giphy.com

If you want, follow the Giraffe Conservation Foundation on Twitter @Save_Giraffe

I will be making more Buzzfeed posts like this soon. Follow me at John_GRaffe on Twitter for more.