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Giraffes in danger of becoming extinct

Friday, 09 December 2016 10:07 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 09 December 2016 10:07 AM ]

A Cape giraffe, or South African giraffe, is seen in an enclosure at the Giza zoo in Cairo on November 23, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has announced that giraffes are at risk of extinction.

The union has moved giraffes from "Least Concern to Vulnerable" due to a dramatic decline in their numbers. Data show the number of giraffes, the world’s tallest animals, has plummeted 40% in the past 30 years.

Experts believe just 97,000 giraffes are left in the wild as of 2015. The decline in the number of the tallest land mammal has been blamed on habitat loss, poaching, increased farming and civil unrest in many parts of Africa.

A resolution adopted in September by the International Union for Conservation of Nature has called for action to stop the declining giraffe population.

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