Giraffes could move to the Endangered Species List for the first time
Poaching, habitat loss, climate change, human population growth, and urbanization are pushing giraffes closer to extinction.
Giraffes could soon be listed under the Endangered Species Act for the first time as the population continues to plummet at an alarming rate due to poaching and habitat loss.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) proposes listing all three subspecies of northern giraffe from west, central and east Africa as endangered, and two giraffe species from east Africa as threatened, to help protect their dwindling numbers.
“Federal protections for giraffes will help protect a vulnerable species, foster biodiversity, support ecosystem health, combat wildlife trafficking, and promote sustainable economic practices,” Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said in a statement. “This action supports giraffe conservation while ensuring the United States does not contribute further to their decline.”
Giraffes are being pushed closer to extinction by poaching for their body parts, habitat loss, climate change, human population growth, and urbanization, officials said.
The US is the top importer and exporter of giraffe parts, with 39,516 specimens imported between 2006 and 2015, including live and dead animals and body parts, according to a 2018 report. American hunters travel to various areas of Africa to kill giraffes and bring back body parts as trophies.
Photo: HSUS
The Endangered Species Act, enacted in 1973, “establishes protections for fish, wildlife, and plants that are listed as threatened or endangered,” according to the agency.
Adding giraffes to the list would help reduce the illegal hunting and trade of giraffe body parts—such as bone carvings, skins, and trophies—by requiring permits for their import into the US. Funding to address conservation needs and awareness about the decline in giraffes would also be increased.
Environmental groups that have been advocating for years to have various giraffe species listed welcomed the decision, calling it long overdue. A petition, filed in 2017 by the Center for Biological Diversity, Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, pushed for protections for giraffes. When this did not happen, the groups sued USFW in 2021, pushing the agency to commit to a deadline to confirm if the species warrants protection.
“These gentle giants are suffering a silent extinction, and Endangered Species Act safeguards will curb US imports of giraffe skins and other body parts,” said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The proposed protections are good news for giraffes, but it’s tragic that it took seven years to get here.
“US officials should be racing like a cheetah to fight the global extinction crisis, but they’re actually moving at a snail’s pace to protect imperiled wildlife,” Sanerib added.
“Giraffes are in trouble and the fact that there are four distinct species makes their situation even more dire,” said Stephanie Fennessy, executive director of the Windhoek, Namibia-based Giraffe Conservation Foundation. “The attention for giraffes generated through this rule will help increase awareness of their plight and the fact that not all giraffes are the same. Ultimately, this attention will hopefully convert into more funding support and interest to save all four species of giraffe in the wild in Africa.”
Fewer than 69,000 mature individuals are remaining in the wild according to the Center for Biological Diversity. This marks a 40 percent decline in their populations in the last 30 years.
The Fish and Wildlife Service has set a deadline of 19 February next year to receive public comments through its website. The Service will review and consider all comments received prior to this date before publishing a final rule.
Sanerib told The Guardian she was “holding out hope” that the process would survive the transition from the Biden administration to the second term of Donald Trump.
“Everyone loves giraffes, that’s not a partisan issue, right? This is a species that crosses the political divide, a species everyone cares about,” she said.
“And a lot of the reasons why things get tangled up with our Endangered Species Act in the US is because it impacts the states, and when those species are foreign, that doesn’t come into play.
“So I think the main entity that’s going to raise opposition to this listing is the trophy hunting industry, and the question is going to be: how much sway do they have with this new administration?”
We Have A Favor To Ask…
Species Unite amplifies well-researched solutions to some of the most abusive animal industries operating today.
At this crucial moment, with worldwide momentum for change building, it’s vital we share these animal-free solutions with the world - and we need your help.
We’re a nonprofit, and so to keep sharing these solutions, we’re relying on you - with your support, we can continue our essential work in growing a powerful community of animal advocates this year.
