When I think of an African safari, I think of wanting to see wildlife such as giraffe. Giraffe are gentle friendly animals who are similar to elephants in that they exhibit emotional traits like grieving the loss of another and live in herds.
Giraffe also contribute to the ecosystem more than we may realize. According to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, giraffe help to keep ecosystems in balance. Because of their height, giraffe forage on taller plants and trees which in turn promotes plant growth and allows other wildlife feed on the lower plant life.
The unfortunate reality is giraffe are facing a silent extinction process. The giraffe are a viable part of the ecosystem and if they were to become extinct, other wildlife would suffer as well.
Recently I attended a workshop given by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF). I learned there are four species of giraffe and three of these species are in trouble. The total giraffe population has decreased 30% in the last three decades and in places like Mali and Nigeria, the giraffe have gone extinct. 90% of their habitat has been lost to urban development and have mostly become fragmented. Other factors that are contributing to their decline is climate change and poaching.
Per the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), their status is listed under Appendix II which means the giraffe is not necessarily threatened with extinction. As their habitats and lives become increasingly threatened, it would be my hope they would receive more protection and become listed under Appendix I as a species threatened with extinction.
Currently, GCF is collaborating with governments such as Niger, Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda to create strategies to ensure survival of the giraffe population in these countries. This is critical as it was emphasized most of the public who live in regions where giraffe cohabitate, do not realize the threats that giraffe face.
In Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, GCF has been removing snares intended to trap animals by poachers in order to help save the giraffe population. They also scout for giraffe or other animals hurt by snares in order to remove the snare. Over the past couple of years, GCF has been able to save 189 giraffe and removed 649 active snares intended to trap animals.
GCF have developed satellite technology to follow giraffe herds and understand what plant life they feed from. GCF has also begun mounting GPS tracking on giraffe ossicone (the paired weapons on the top of their head) to help know where the giraffe are, what corridors the giraffe use in order to protect and conserve these areas for giraffe to migrate safely, and to learn why giraffe will cross a geofence into another region.
Giraffe Conservation Foundation is trailblazing a path to help protect the giraffe population and ensure its survival. If you would like to learn more about their work, donate, or adopt a giraffe, please click here.
If you love giraffe, please share this blog post and let others know the giraffe population needs help! Nature already does so much for us, we can help look after it!
References:
1. https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/about/species-we-protect-giraffe
2. https://giraffeconservation.org
