It has become one of the biggest studies of a large mammal, with nearly 3,000 individuals identified in a vast, 4,500-km2 area of the Tarangire ecosystem in Tanzania. The Masai Giraffe Project is a partnership between the Wild Nature Institute, the University of Zurich, Pennsylvania State University and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute. Although the giraffe is still considered a single species, genetic information suggests there may be three species with Masai giraffes a separate species. In 2011, my colleagues and I launched the Masai Giraffe Project to learn what helps and what harms giraffes, and how people and giraffes can thrive together. Giraffes can therefore be easily identified from photographs without any need for dangerous captures. Each animal has a unique and unchanging spot pattern for its entire life, like a human thumbprint. This helps to pinpoint threats and evaluate conservation strategies, such as how the presence of people influences giraffes and whether community conservation areas work.įortunately, giraffes are a good study species for this type of research. The best way to reverse giraffe population declines is to monitor individual animals and learn why they do better in one place over another. Giraffes are also a big attraction for tourists. For example, woody plant spines, such as thorn trees, are a response to giraffe browsing. Giraffes shape and sustain healthy ecosystems. The biggest threats are hunting for bushmeat markets and loss of habitat due to deforestation and the spread of farms. Like many species of African wildlife, giraffes face numerous threats. Giraffe numbers have plummeted from an estimated 150,000 in 1985 to fewer than 100,000 today. The threats facing giraffes include illegal hunting and civil unrest in parts of Africa and habitat loss due to mining and agriculture.The giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis) is an iconic megaherbivore whose populations are declining across Africa, the only continent where they are found. The IUCN said the northern giraffe and the reticulated giraffe are two of the most threatened species with fewer than 5,200 and 15,785, respectively, remaining in the wild. Explore > Trending: Mother giraffe dies 4 days after her calf "This is a conservation success story and highlights the value of making proactive giraffe conservation management efforts in critical populations across the continent," Arthu Muneza, the East Africa Coordinator of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, said.
Two giraffe subspecies (the West African and Rothchild’s giraffe) that were previously considered endangered have rebounded with efforts from African governments and conservation groups and have been downgraded to “vulnerable” and “near threatened,” respectively. The report also detailed a conservation success story. Some scientists believe that other animals-such as zebras, antelope, and wildebeests-often congregate near giraffes to take advantage of their ability to see danger from a distance, according to National Geographic. The giraffes' height and excellent vision give them a wide view of the grasslands where they live, making it easy to spot predators from a distance.