The Climate Action Network is one of several organizations calling for richer nations with deep pockets, to help developing countries to mitigate effects of climate change. Taller global individuals (2,460 billionaires with collective worth of R12, 2 trillion, according to Forbes) are fewer but with pockets that could feed the entire planet.
Similarly, giraffes, are keystone species, playing an important role in their surrounds, for themselves and other animals alike.
They balance ecosystems. They feed in areas they can only reach and thus open up areas for themselves and other smaller animals to make use of.
However, their habitat is threatened due to human population growth, poaching, diseases, war, drought and others.
Today marks World Giraffe day (21st June 2023).
Although the global population of giraffe is estimated to be decreasing at an estimated 30% since the 1980s, South Africa’s figures look healthy.
The South African giraffe population is estimated at 39,000 of the 111,000 global individuals, an increase over the past three decades.
Populations in Kenya and Tanzania, have also increased. Masai giraffes, found mostly in Tanzania and southern Kenya, have an estimated population of 45,000, a 44 percent increase since the 80s.
South African Giraffes are also found in Angola, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Namibia and South Africa have the largest populations of giraffes according to the Further Africa study. Researchers in Southern Africa concluded around 70 percent of the giraffe’s population lies outside government-managed protected areas.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have categorized all giraffes under the same conservation status of ‘Vulnerable.’ However, where populations are low, they can be listed as ‘Endangered.’
Males are between 4.8 to 5.5 meters tall and weigh up to 1,360 kilograms. Females are relatively shorter and weigh less than the males do (up to 680 kilograms).
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation facts
👉 Giraffe have gone extinct in 7 African countries already!
👉 They have lost more than 90% of their habitat!
👉 There is only 1 🦒 giraffe for every 4 elephants 🐘 in Africa!