Wildlife

Giraffe Welfare: Silent Decline of Africa Tallest Animal

Giraffe populations have declined by 40 percent since the 1980s in what has been called a silent extinction.

Key Facts

Giraffe populations declined from 155,000 in 1985 to under 100,000 in 2015
Four of nine subspecies are now listed as vulnerable or endangered
Illegal hunting, habitat loss, and civil unrest are primary threats
Giraffes have unique cardiovascular systems with hearts weighing 12 kilograms
They sleep standing and can lower their necks for only brief periods making them vulnerable at waterholes

Welfare Considerations

Wild giraffes face welfare challenges from habitat fragmentation that reduces food availability and forces dangerous road crossings. Poaching for bush meat causes violent death. Drought reduces acacia availability causing nutritional stress particularly for pregnant and nursing females. Calves face high predation pressure with over 50 percent mortality in first year. Captive giraffes face challenges from confinement in inadequate spaces and inappropriate social groupings.

What You Can Do

Support Giraffe Conservation Foundation which leads population monitoring and protection
Donate to African Wildlife Foundation giraffe habitat protection projects
Choose ethical wildlife tourism operators that support giraffe conservation
Advocate for listing of vulnerable giraffe subspecies under CITES for trade protection
Raise awareness of giraffe decline as it receives much less attention than elephants or rhinos