JOHANNESBURG, December 8 (ANA) – The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has announced that giraffes are now classified as ‘Vulnerable’ on the Red List – a move the University of the Free State (UFS) said would prompt people to help stop the animals from becoming extinct.
“The species, formerly classified as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List — an index on the likelihood of extinction of animals worldwide — is threatened with extinction,” said the UFS in a statement on Thursday.
Dr Francois Deacon a specialised researcher in the Department of Animal, Wildlife, and Grassland Sciences at UFS said: “Until recently, few people were aware of the situation facing giraffes”.
Deacon added: “It is time to show the world giraffe numbers are in danger. This reclassification by the IUCN is pivotal to get the public to stand up and take action for giraffes”.
The announcement that giraffes were now classified as “vulnerable” came after a status report submitted by Dr Deacon.
“He was the lead author responsible for the submission of the Southern African Giraffe subspecies (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa) status report that was part of the larger species report submitted for review by the (IUCN),” said the UFS.
“The UFS has been doing many research projects in the past couple of years on giraffe-related issues and topics to address this problem.”
The institution said it was one of only a few universities in Africa that was committed to studying giraffes to ensure the conservation of this species.
“A 40% decline in the giraffe population over the past two decades is proof that the longnecks are officially in trouble. According to Dr Deacon, this rate of decline is faster than that of the elephant or rhino,” said the UFS.
The main reasons for the devastating decline were habitat loss, civil unrest and illegal hunting.
Dr Deacon, pioneer in the use of GPS technology to study giraffes and their natural habitat, said: “This vulnerability clearly stipulates we are quickly losing grip on our last few natural populations”.
He and a team of researchers at the UFS in South Africa are leading various research and conservation projects to help save the last remaining giraffes in Africa.
The IUCN, a health check for our planet, is the highest level at which decision-makers can prove how many species (fauna or flora) are surviving or not.
The update from “Least Concern” to “Vulnerable” on the Red List was released at the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cancun, Mexico.
A wildlife documentary, Last of the Longnecks clearly shows how the number of giraffes has plummeted in the past two decades from 154,000 to fewer than 98,000 today — with numbers of some giraffes, such as Kenya’s reticulated giraffe, declining by as much as 80%.
Any individual or institution that wants to make a contribution relating to giraffe research can contact Dr Deacon at the UFS on deaconf@ufs.ac.za.
– African News Agency (ANA)
(Dr Francois Deacon, specialised researcher in the Department of Animal, Wildlife, and Grassland Sciences at the University of the Free State. Photo supplied by Francois Deacon.)
