Are giraffes endangered? – International Fund for Animal Welfare | IFAW

Threats to Giraffe Populations and Conservation Efforts Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Challenges to Giraffe Population Growth

Giraffes face significant threats that impede their population growth, notably their slow reproductive rate. Female giraffes have a gestation period of approximately 15 months and typically give birth to a single calf. Over a lifetime, an average female may produce five calves, but only about half survive to adulthood.

Environmental Threats and Human-Wildlife Conflict

Severe drought in the Horn of Africa, especially in Kenya, has critically endangered giraffe populations. From June to November 2022, over 6,000 animals died due to drought conditions, including 93 endangered Masai giraffes. This drought, the worst in four decades, has caused watering holes and rivers to dry up, forcing giraffes into human-populated areas in search of water. This movement increases human-wildlife conflict, often resulting in fatal encounters for both giraffes and humans.

Health and Genetic Challenges

• Giraffes are affected by a widespread skin disease causing lesions.
• Habitat fragmentation leads to increased inbreeding, heightening susceptibility to diseases.

Proposed Inclusion of Giraffes in the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Federal Protection Recommendations

Following extensive campaigns by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and other conservation organizations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed federal protections for several giraffe subspecies under the ESA. The proposal includes:

1. Endangered status: West African, Kordofan, and Nubian giraffes.
2. Threatened status with a 4(d) rule: Reticulated and Masai giraffes.

Significance of ESA Listing

Although giraffes are not native to the United States, the ESA plays a crucial role in global species conservation by:

• Introducing U.S. import permits to curb illegal hunting and trade in giraffe habitats.
• Supporting research initiatives based in the U.S. and internationally.
• Providing funding and financial resources for giraffe conservation programs worldwide.

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

This initiative supports several SDGs, including:

• SDG 15: Life on Land – by protecting terrestrial ecosystems and endangered species.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – by addressing the impacts of drought and habitat loss.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – through international cooperation and conservation efforts.

On-the-Ground Conservation Efforts

Ranger and Community Engagement

IFAW collaborates with a trained and equipped ranger force, including national park rangers, law enforcement, and local community members. These teams utilize advanced data collection technologies to monitor and prevent poaching activities effectively.

Conservation Challenges and Opportunities

Giraffes have become extinct in seven African countries, underscoring the urgency of protecting remaining populations in semi-arid and savannah woodland habitats. Conservation efforts are critical to ensuring their survival and contribute directly to achieving SDG 15 by preserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable land use.

Conclusion

The proposed ESA listing and ongoing conservation initiatives represent vital steps toward securing the future of giraffes. These efforts align with the global commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and international collaboration.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • Focuses on the protection, restoration, and promotion of sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, including combating desertification, halting and reversing land degradation, and halting biodiversity loss.
2. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Addresses urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, relevant due to droughts affecting giraffe habitats.
3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Includes promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, which relates to reducing human-wildlife conflict and enforcing wildlife protection laws.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect endangered species such as giraffes.
   • Target 15.7: Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna.
2. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, such as droughts impacting giraffe populations.
3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice, relevant to enforcing the Endangered Species Act and combating illegal wildlife trade.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. SDG 15 Indicators
   • Indicator 15.5.1: Red List Index, measuring the extinction risk of species, relevant to giraffes being proposed for endangered status.
   • Indicator 15.7.1: Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked, implied through efforts to reduce illegal hunting and trade.
2. SDG 13 Indicators
   • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters, such as droughts impacting wildlife populations.
3. SDG 16 Indicators
   • Indicator 16.3.2: Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population, indirectly related to enforcement of wildlife protection laws.
   • Indicator related to implementation of laws and regulations protecting endangered species, implied by the US Endangered Species Act protections.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: ifaw.org