Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) are perhaps among the first animals that children get to know about because of their distinctive long neck and height, but in the future, kids and adults alike may only get to see them in museums because of the dwindling number of this animal.
The number of wild giraffes has significantly dropped over the past 15 years with its population declining to 40 percent during this period. What is more alarming is that the plummeting number of this gentle giant does not get much attention from governments and agencies that could help protect it from extinction.
A survey conducted by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) revealed that in 1999, the population of wild giraffes was about 140,000 but there are now fewer than 80,000. The Namibia-based agency describes this as a silent extinction because of lack of public awareness.
The giraffe is not considered as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which classifies the species as "least concern" in its current list. The IUCN, however, has notably classified the African Elephants as a species that "faces a high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future." There are about 450,000 African Elephants, which is significantly more than the population of the giraffes.
"For comparison's sake, while there are warnings and alarm bells ringing about the imminent extinction of the African elephant as a result of the poaching crisis-a situation not in any way to be minimized-there are an estimated 450,000 African elephants compared to 80,000 giraffe," said African Wildlife Foundation senior communications officer Kathleen Garrigan.
Experts attribute habitat loss, poaching and excessive hunting for the declining number of giraffes. The animal's skin is used for clothing items. Hunters are also after giraffes for bush meat and in some countries such as Tanzania, people have the notion that some parts of the animal can be eaten as treatment for HIV infection.
With giraffe brains and bone marrow believed to cure HIV-AIDS victims, the freshly cut heads and bones of the animal can cost as much as $140 per piece.
As to why the plummeting population of the giraffe has almost gone unnoticed, experts speculate this has something to do with the animal's presence in our lives. David O'Connor, from the Institute for Conservation Research at the San Diego Zoo said that giraffes are everywhere: in books and in zoo collections so it is easy think that they are abundant and there is nothing to worry about them.
