Giraffes are ON THE “CRITICALLY ENDANGERED’ List AND facING silent extinction
Here’s a fresh, Over and Above Africa–voiced rewrite for your giraffe page, with true facts, urgency, and compassion — followed by a donor-facing call to action like we did with the pangolins:
Giraffes: Silent Guardians of the Savannah
Giraffes are more than icons of grace and beauty — they are keystone species that shape Africa’s ecosystems. By feeding on tree canopies, they allow sunlight to reach the ground, helping plants regenerate and providing food and shelter for countless other animals. Their presence ensures balance across the savannah.
But giraffes are in crisis. Across Africa, populations have plummeted by as much as 90% in areas once considered strongholds. In 1985, an estimated 155,000 giraffes roamed the wild. Today, fewer than 68,000 remain — a decline so severe that giraffes have already gone extinct in seven African countries.
The threats are grave:
Habitat loss from farming, urban expansion, and infrastructure projects fragments their ranges.
Poaching continues, with giraffes killed for bushmeat, skins, tails, and even bone marrow.
Civil conflict and human pressures make conservation efforts even more difficult.
Since 2016, giraffes have been listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, with some subspecies classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered. Without urgent protection, these gentle giants — who have walked Earth for over a million years — could vanish within our lifetimes.
At Over and Above Africa, we believe the giraffe’s story should not end with us. Protecting them is about more than saving a single species — it is about safeguarding Africa’s biodiversity and the future of its wild landscapes.
Join Us in Protecting Giraffes
Giraffes are disappearing silently — their decline so rapid it has been called the “silent extinction.” But silence can be broken.
🌍 Here’s how you can help:
Donate to support giraffe monitoring, habitat restoration, and anti-poaching patrols.
Share their story to raise awareness of their plight.
Stand with us to protect one of Earth’s most extraordinary creatures before it’s too late.
👉 Every contribution helps keep giraffes on the horizon of Africa’s savannahs — where they belong.
“God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He as no real style. He just goes on trying other things.”
BTS drone footage from the multiple award-winning film: Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War. Photo Credit: Philip Folsom
Why are giraffes are disappearing
The spike in giraffe decline is the result of a confluence of factors. Giraffe populations are suffering from habitat loss, civil unrest, war, poaching and human population expansion changing the landscape. As civilization and modernization changes traditional giraffe habitat, giraffes become entwined in electrical poles and die of electrocution. They also fall victim to snares laid by poachers or bushmeat trade.
Poachers target giraffes and other precious African wildlife because their body parts amount to profit. This makes poaching difficult to stop, as some local communities rely on selling these items to feed their families. However, giraffes will quickly become extinct if we don’t fight against poaching in Africa.
Giraffes were once found across Africa in a variety of ecosystems and regions. Giraffes are essential to keeping African ecosystems balanced. Their 6-foot-tall necks help them reach foliage that other animals cannot. This allows for superior growth of foliage that other animals to eat. Additionally, giraffes are known for foraging on Acai trees, and some seedlings will not germinate unless they have been digested by a giraffe. Without giraffes, African habitats could lose a variety of other flora and fauna, too. Why Do Poachers Kill Giraffes? (iapf.org)
Unfortunately, the United States is a leading import and seller of giraffe parts. Currently, The U.S. allows for 1 or more trophy hunts per day imported into the country.
Over 20,000 giraffe bone carvings per day are also imported into the U.S. every day over the past 3 decades.
•Giraffes are an iconic species in Africa. They are a vital piece of our ecology.
•Giraffes eat foliage that others cannot reach, which contributes to the health of the flora and opens areas for other animals to forage.
How can we help?
•Share their story to build awareness and bring attention to their plight
•Report wildlife crime and support sustainable products
•Hold a local fundraiser in your community to raise funds to help our work
Learn more facts about these amazing animals! (Linking to Anne Innis Dagg website)
JOIN US IN THE FIGHT TO SAVE GIRAFFES
Photo Credit: Kelly Doyle
Did You Know…The horn-like protrusions on both male and female giraffes’ heads are called ossicones. They are technically neither horns nor antlers, but are ossified cartilage covered in skin and fur!