Long Necks, Long Odds: Giraffes to Enter Endangered Species List

Giraffes are the tallest animals on Earth. They are also a frequent target of poachers. That has caused their population to drop steeply. So the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has proposed adding them to the Endangered Species List.

“Federal protections for giraffes will help protect a vulnerable species,” said Martha Williams in a written statement. She is the director of the USFWS.

Three species of giraffe would be marked as endangered. Two other types would be named threatened. That means they're near extinction. Labeling them as such would restrict attempts to bring giraffes to the US. It would also set up penalties. They would affect people trying to sell items taken from poached giraffes.

“If you want a giraffe-skin pillow, you want a giraffe-bone knife handle ... that commercial market is going to be ... curtailed,” Tanya Sanerib told the Washington Post. She works at the Center for Biological Diversity. “That’s really beneficial for giraffes because it means we have less demand coming from the US market." 

The US "is a huge marketplace for wildlife globally,” Sanerib added.

Over the past 40 years, giraffe numbers in Africa have fallen by as much as 77%. In 1985, there were 25,653 West African, Kordofan, and Nubian giraffes. There are only 5,919 today.

Reflect: If you could help protect any animal or natural place in the world, which would you choose and why?