Oanh Tran
Giraffes are known for being “charming beasts full of delight” when visiting the zoo which has a similar meaning to their scientific name, “charismatic megafauna.”
Going back in history, millions of giraffes roamed freely before the human race existed!
Recently, the population took a turn. Last year, giraffes were put on the endangered species watch list.
Why? Most scientists blame drastic habitat loss along with population growth and poaching. As the Acacia trees that once fed the giraffes disappear, the replacement trees have a negative impact on their diets.
“While everyone worries about elephants, Earth has four times as many pachyderms as giraffes,” said Julian Fennessy and Noelle Kumpel, co-chairs of the specialty group of biologists that put the giraffe on the IUCN Red List. “They both called what’s happening to giraffes a “silent extinction.”
In 1985, between 151,00-163,000 giraffes lived in the wild, in 2015-2016, 97,652 giraffes were roaming in the wild (about 40%). At this time, the giraffe population is in the same peril as the cheetah and the leatherback sea turtle.
