World Giraffe Day, 21st June
World Giraffe Day is coming up on the 21st June. It is an annual event to raise awareness of the species and was set up by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. I felt it was worth mentioning on my blog because, I am passionate about animals and I’m also interested in animal conservation. Here are a few facts about Giraffes and the challenges that face them today!
The Giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis) is the tallest land mammal on earth, ranging from 15-20ft (1. Earth Day, 2022). They are classed are Herbivores because they only eat plants. Their long necks help them to reach the leaves on trees, such as the Acadia Tree (2. Areena Riverside Resort | Wild Coast Eastern Cape, 2022).
Giraffes only occur across the Sub-Saharan Savanna and Woodlands of Africa. According to a recent study by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, there are now four distinct types of Giraffes living in Africa, such as the Masai Giraffes, Northern, Southern and the Reticulated Giraffe (3.Giraffe Conservation Foundation, 2022).
The GCF now estimates the population of Giraffes to be 117,000, and they have suggested that this is a 30% drop in the population compared to the 1980’s. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, assessed the population and classified the Giraffes as a Vulnerable Species (VU) in 2016 (4. et al., 2022).This classification means that they face a high risk of extinction in the wild.
The general reasons for their decline are mostly due to human behaviour such as, urban expansion, agriculture, civil-unrest, illegal hunting and the consequences of Global Warming. Diseases are also another contributing factor to the decline of Giraffes.
Earth Day is an activist organisation that recruits partners for the environmental movement; to inform and revolutionise the way businesses and governments interact with the environment. They suggest that more education, sustainable agriculture, less food hunger and less illegal hunting would help to protect the species (5. Earth Day, 2022).
Lastly, I was fascinated to find out that the spots on a Giraffe also serves a purpose for the transfer of heat from it’s body and not just for bad camouflage!
References:
[1] Earth Day. 2022. What We Need to Do to Save Giraffes Before They Go Extinct - Earth Day. [online] Available at: <https://www.earthday.org/what-we-need-to-do-to-save-giraffes-before-they-go-extinct/> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
[2] Areena Riverside Resort. 2022. How the Acacia Tree can outsmart a hungry giraffe - Areena Riverside Resort | Wild Coast Eastern Cape. [online] Available at: <https://www.areenaresort.com/news/how-the-acacia-tree-can-outsmart-a-hungry-giraffe/> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
[3] Giraffe Conservation Foundation. 2022. Are there different types of giraffe? - Giraffe Conservation Foundation. [online] Available at: <https://giraffeconservation.org/facts/are-there-different-types-of-giraffe/> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
[4] Group), J., Group), D., Trust), Z., University), F., Brand, R., Sciences), M., College), D., Carter, K., Francois Deacon (Department of Animal, S., Belfast), J., Foundation), S., Kenya), A., Institute), D., Foundation), A., Strauss, M., Tutchings, A. and Science), T., 2022. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Giraffa camelopardalis. [online] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: <https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9194/136266699> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
[5] Earth Day. 2022. What We Need to Do to Save Giraffes Before They Go Extinct - Earth Day. [online] Available at: <https://www.earthday.org/what-we-need-to-do-to-save-giraffes-before-they-go-extinct/> [Accessed 15 June 2022].