https://biologicaldiversity.or...giraffes-2020-10-14/



For Immediate Release, October 14, 2020

Contact:

Tanya Sanerib, Center for Biological Diversity, (206) 379-7363, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org
Rodi Rosensweig, Humane Society of the United States/Humane Society International, (203) 270-8929, RRosensweig@humanesociety.org

Legal Action Initiated to Speed Endangered Species Act Protections for Giraffes

WASHINGTON— Conservation and animal-protection groups today filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to consider Endangered Species Act protections for Africa’s rapidly dwindling giraffe population.

The groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, petitioned for giraffe protections in April 2017, but the species still has not received the legally required finding that was due in April 2018, nor any protection under the Act.

Last year, after a lawsuit filed by the groups, the Fish and Wildlife Service determined that giraffes may qualify for protections under the Act — but the agency has failed to make a decision or implement any protective measures.

“Giraffes are loved by people around the world, so it’s shocking and sad that the U.S. government is ignoring their tragic plight,” said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “As giraffe populations plummet, these extraordinary creatures desperately need the Endangered Species Act’s sturdy shield. But three years after we petitioned for protections, federal officials are still stalling on safeguards for everyone’s favorite longnecked mammal.”

With fewer than 69,000 mature individuals remaining in the wild, giraffes have been undergoing what has been called a silent extinction. Giraffe populations have dropped nearly 40% due to habitat loss, civil unrest and poaching and the international trade in bone carvings, skins and trophies puts additional pressure on these iconic animals.

“The United States has an important role to play in preventing extinction of these magnificent creatures, as the top importer of giraffe trophies, and as many Americans import giraffe parts — including bones and skins — to sell them for commercial purposes in the U.S.,” said Adam Peyman, wildlife programs director for Humane Society International, speaking on behalf of Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States. “The time has long passed for the Fish and Wildlife Service to take action and put in place desperately needed protections.”

Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) decided in 2019 to regulate international trade in giraffes — including trophies and other body parts — by placing the species on the Appendix II of the Convention. But several key exporting countries in Africa have expressed that they do not intend to implement or enforce CITES requirements with respect to giraffes, even though the listing only requires export permits and reporting of international trade in giraffes. Protection under the Endangered Species Act is desperately needed to help curb imports of giraffe bones, trophies and other parts to the United States and increase funding for conservation efforts for the species.

On average the United States imports more than one giraffe hunting trophy a day and imported more than 21,400 giraffe bone carvings between 2006 and 2015. Many of the imported giraffe parts are turned into frivolous decorative items such as pillows, boots, bible covers or jackets.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature assessed giraffes as “vulnerable” to extinction in 2016 and classified two giraffe subspecies as “endangered” and two more as “critically endangered” in 2018.

The dwindling populations are in nonsafari hunted areas!

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Originally posted by fairgame:
The dwindling populations are in nonsafari hunted areas!

Makes no difference!

Politicians and lawyers are involved, so every else looses!

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Makes no difference!

Politicians and lawyers are involved, so every else looses!

So, I jumped on the Internet and looked at giraffe numbers from a number of different websites. Those different websites currently estimate world giraffe populations from 110,000 to 100,000 to 97,000 to 68,000. All different numbers depending on the amount of emotional B.S. that goes into the organization reporting the numbers. Just another attempt to grab hunters by the balls and make them scream and tow the line of the antis. If they don't want you to hunt it, they make up B.S. to align with their misguided, lying-assed positions and demands.

There is little doubt that certain SUBSPECIES are in big trouble. In most of southern Africa, that is not the case.

I am involved with an organization that has done extensive conservation efforts on local subspecies. Some of these have relatively few left and in countries that are extremely dangerous. I would not go there. One of the local guides used by this organization was killed in a terrorist attack.

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There is little doubt that certain SUBSPECIES are in big trouble. In most of southern Africa, that is not the case.

Exactly!

Meanwhile in the Kunene, the area is being deforested by an overabundance of giraffe, but who's counting...

This one size fits all conservation movement has absolutely nothing to do with conservation.

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Originally posted by Opus1:

...This one size fits all conservation movement has absolutely nothing to do with conservation.

You nailed it. If efforts and actions were implemented where actually needed, results would be more successful. But, that doesn’t fit their agenda which has more to do with a business model than actual results.

Their actions are intended to stop all hunting period. That is their agenda. Don't be fooled into believing anything otherwise.

Giraffes are about as endangered as chipmunks.

"In the 1980s, the total number of all giraffe in Africa was estimated at more than 155,000 individuals. Today, GCF estimates the current Africa-wide giraffe population at approximately 111,000 individuals." https://giraffeconservation.or...conservation-status/

I noticed in the article above they were only counting mature individuals to get the "69,000 mature individuals remaining in the wild", but it sounds like the are using historical total population to get their percentage drop in population. Maybe a little slight of hand in their statistics.

In the article they weren't very specific about which giraffes that they are including.

I can't and won't speak to the overall numbers of giraffes in Africa, much less the health of the various sub-species. I can say that during the recent drought in Namibia, which wiped out hundreds of thousands of game animals, giraffes were by far the hardiest species and both survived and flourished.

On the southern Namibia farm that I hunted in 2007 their population was about 40 giraffes, which they felt was a "full" population for the acreage they occupied -- this was along with thousands of springbok, kudu, wildebeest, zebra, oryx, etc. When I hunted again there during the 2019 drought the antelopes were decimated, but they now had about 60 giraffes. Few hunters like to take them, it seems.

Giraffes are the tallest among the top browsers and have the highest survival rate within their community and other species of game when the shit hits the fan.

They are also primarily responsible in preventing the growth of some species of the acacia through the continuous "de-budding" of the upper canopy and at time may weaken younger trees to die off.

The numbers of Giraffes shot by trophy hunters are so negligible that for anyone to claim otherwise brands them as fools; as are most of the "scientists" who claim to have expert knowledge of African wildlife.

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Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Giraffes are about as endangered as chipmunks.

Squirrels