Giraffe Charities - get involved and help giraffes
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| Giraffe numbers have dropped from about 155,000 in 1985 to 97,000 in 2016 according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Giraffe numbers have declined because of habitat loss, poaching, disease and unrest in many parts of Africa. For example, giraffes in Uganda are under threat from oil prospectors. There are 1,000 beautiful Rothschild giraffes living in the Murchison Falls National Park. They live on one side of the River Nile but the ground they live on has 75% of Uganda's oil. Drilling plans are under way. Some populations are growing, mainly in southern parts of the continent and there are a number of charities working to help giraffes. 21st June is World Giraffe Day, but meantime... World Giraffe Day Here are some projects working to help giraffes A number of these are supported by UK charities, such as Born Free and PTES. 1. Giraffe Conservation Foundation is dedicated to a sustainable future for all giraffe populations in the wild. It seeks to raise awareness for, provide support to and secure a future for giraffe and conserve their habitat in Africa. Amongst other actiivities, it identifies key threats to giraffes in Africa and develops innovative ways to tackle these, and it raises awareness for and promotes the value of giraffe conservaton in African Range States and abroad. It raises funds to help with giraffe conservation in Africa and works with the IUCN SSC Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group (GOSG) to provide comprehensive awareness and technical support. 2. IUCN SSC Giraffe & Okapi Specialist Group consists of global experts and its group leads efforts to study giraffe, okapi and the threats they face. It also leads and supports conservation actions to ensure the survival of the two species into the future. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) are institutional co-hosts of the GOSG for giraffe and okapi respectively. Find out more about giraffes from their website 3. The Born Free Foundation has supported giraffe relocation efforts to move giraffes to Ruko, so reintroducing the species to a part of its former and now protected range. It is also supporting the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), who have developed the first ever Country Profile of giraffes in Niger. This will contribute to the re-assessment of the species for the IUCN Red List. 4. The African Wildlife Foundation has supported the Association to Safeguard the Giraffes of Niger (ASGN), and they trained 15 guides from a local community organisation to monitor the giraffes. 5. The Giraffe Conservation Alliance works to connect people and zoos around the world to giraffe conservation projects in Africa. 6. The Wildlife Nature Institute runs Project Giraffe. The research is discovering where Masai giraffes are doing well, where they are not, and why. It works to protect and connect areas that are important to Masai giraffe conservation. They are also taking part in the global status assessment of giraffes being undertaken through the IUCN |