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Learn and Act To Protect Our Species: Giraffes

The document discusses the decline of giraffe populations and threats they face such as habitat loss and poaching. It provides facts about giraffes and calls readers to action to petition the US Fish and Wildlife Service to protect giraffes under the Endangered Species Act.

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Quicksilver 1975
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92 views3 pages

Learn and Act To Protect Our Species: Giraffes

The document discusses the decline of giraffe populations and threats they face such as habitat loss and poaching. It provides facts about giraffes and calls readers to action to petition the US Fish and Wildlife Service to protect giraffes under the Endangered Species Act.

Uploaded by

Quicksilver 1975
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Learn and Act to Protect Our Species

GIRAFFES

FACTS
• Standing between 15 to 20 feet tall, the giraffe is the world’s
tallest mammal.
• While a giraffe’s long legs and neck help it look out for danger
on the African savanna, the giraffe’s height also makes it an
easy target for predators.
• Giraffe populations have declined from 155,000 in 1985 to
80,000 in 2018 according to the African Wildlife Foundation.
Of the nine giraffe subspecies, three subspecies have fallen
below 1,000.
• There are fewer giraffes than elephants in Africa.

TAKE ACTION:
The U.S. is the number one importer of giraffe trophies and parts. There are no international treaties
protecting giraffes. You can help by petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the giraffe as
endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Take action to tell the Fish and Wildlife Service
to list the giraffe as endangered.

WHY THEY MATTER


• Giraffes inspire curiosity and amazement. As one of the world’s
most iconic species, giraffes drive ecotourism and conserva-
tion, benefiting wildlife beyond giraffes.
• Giraffes live in harmony with other herbivores and serve a Protect Our Species Primer and Action Toolkit

vital role in the local ecosystem. When plants and fruits pass
through their digestive systems, they spread seeds and allow
plants to germinate.
• NASA scientists have researched the blood vessels of giraffe
legs for ideas of how to create better space suits.
• Because giraffes can spot predators such as lions and hyenas
from far away, many animals use giraffes as their early warning
system. When giraffes start running away, other animals run
too.

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THREATS
• Habitat loss, civil unrest, illegal poaching and hunting,
and climate change collectively contribute to the
decline in giraffe populations.
• Climate change and habitat loss have also contributed
to the decline of the acacia tree, the main source of
food for giraffes.
• U.S. trophy hunters import at least one giraffe every day.
• Giraffe tails and meat are considered status symbols.

HOW TO HELP
• Check out our Species Profiles for up-to-date advocacy actions.
• Do not to purchase giraffe products of any kind.
• Tell your friends about the plight of the beautiful giraffe.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
ARTICLES/BLOGS/READINGS

All the Creatures You Can Find in One Cubic Foot – National Geographic
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2015/05/12/
all-the-creatures-you-can-find-in-one-cubic-foot/
This article is about a photographer who carries around a cube and takes it to places he learns are the
most biodiverse. He collaborates with students to show them how to use a “biocube” to collect data.

Giraffes facing extinction after devastating decline, experts warn – The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/08/
giraffe-red-list-vulnerable-species-extinction
This article discusses a variety of species on the brink of extinction, with a specific focus on giraffes.

How America Can Help Save a Non-American Species: The Mighty Giraffe – Smithsonian
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-America-Protect-Non-American-Species-
Giraffe-180963347/ Protect Our Species Primer and Action Toolkit

This article is about the request for the U.S. to list giraffes as an endangered species, why they should
be listed and how classifying them as endangered will help save them.

VIDEOS

Giraffes 101 – National Geographic


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_ckAbOr0r4
This video showcases all of the features that make giraffes unique, from their large hearts to their
sleeping patterns.

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STORYTELLING

Giraffes: Africa’s Gentle Giants – PBS


https://www.pbs.org/video/nature-giraffes-africas-gentle-giants-full-episode/
In this in-depth video, Dr. Julian Fennessy, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Giraffe Conservation
Foundation, and officials from the Uganda Wildlife Authority bring you to the heart of the battle to
defend giraffes from illegal poaching and hunting.

OTHERS WORKING ON THIS

Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration’s Failure to Protect Giraffes – NRDC


https://www.nrdc.org/media/2018/181206
This article discusses the lawsuit filed against President Trump’s administration for the failure of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to respond to the petition to protect giraffes under the Endangered
Species Act.

Protect giraffes under the Endangered Species Act – Humane Society International
https://action.hsi.org/page/28259/action/1?locale=en-US
This is a source of a petition people can sign to help protect giraffes.

U.S. Endangered Species Act Protection Sought for Giraffes – International Fund for Animal Welfare
https://www.ifaw.org/united-states/news/us-endangered-species-act-protection-sought-giraffes
In response to recent scientific consensus on giraffes’ vulnerability to extinction, five wildlife protec-
tion groups today petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect Earth’s tallest land animal
under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (Center for Biological Diversity, Humane Society International,
The Humane Society of the United States, International Fund for Animal Welfare and Natural
Resources Defense Council)

REPORTS

U.S. Market for Giraffe Parts Uncovered – Humane Society International


http://hsi.org/assets/pdfs/giraffe-report-HSI-HSUS-082318.pdf
In early 2018, the Humane Society of the United States conducted an investigation to determine the
commercial availability of giraffe parts and products for sale in the U.S. Investigators found giraffe
parts for sale from coast to coast at more than 52 U.S. locations and visited 21 of them.

Protect Our Species Primer and Action Toolkit


Africa’s Giraffe: a Conservation Guide – Giraffe Conservation Foundation
https://giraffeconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Africas-Giraffe-A-conservation-guide.pdf
This guide highlights the management challenges faced by all stakeholders across the continent, from
local communities to governments and their agencies, the non-governmental conservation commu-
nity and the private sector, if this quintessential African species is to have a future in the wild.

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