Only 1 lakh Giraffes are left in the African continent, 100 years back, more than a million giraffes used to roam across the sub-Saharan African continent. Researches say that these animals are now extinct in at least 7 countries.
40% of giraffes have declined in 30 years which means that this species is now listed as vulnerable one on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list. Countries like Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe have submitted the priority conservation measure to the ongoing Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
The 13th meeting of the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is being held at Gandhinagar, India will also talk about the implementation tools to lessen the impacts of linear infrastructure on migratory species.
Giraffes which can be seen in 28 African countries are now extinct in seven countries which are Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Senegal.
These are the reasons which could have caused a decline in the population of giraffes:
1) Infrastructure developments like roads, railways, powerlines, and pipelines.
2) Wildfire, livestock incursions and illegal encroachment by humans.
3) Poaching, snaring and trade for bushmeat, skins, tails and traditional medicine have further put the giraffe's survival in doubt.
4) Diseases, civil unrest, climate change, human population growth, and lack of law enforcement to conserve the giraffe population.
The CMS has said an online website will be formed to increase the awareness among the public and other countries for the conservation of giraffes. They said they will form a concrete structure among the African countries to preserve the giant animal from extinction.