Giraffe population has plunged, now
"threatened with extinction"
By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 12.14.16
Word Count 685
A giraffe stands on the outskirts of the Nogorongoro Crater National Park in Tanzania, Africa, in September 2006. Photo:
Bloomberg photo by Nadja Brandt
The majestic 18-foot-tall giraffe is among the animals ecologists call "charismatic
megafauna." The name applies to critters that bring squeals of delight at the zoo and warm
the hearts of corporate marketers.
Who Studies Giraffes?
Of the most charming beasts, though, giraffes never managed to generate the attention
that others have gotten. They are not quite on par with rhinoceroses - a subspecies of
which is poised to vanish - or elephants, facing a long and bitter history of ivory poaching.
Researchers were not immune to passing over the giraffe, either. In September, Axel
Janke, a German evolutionary biologist, laid it out to National Geographic like this: "Only
400 scientific papers have been written about giraffes, versus 20,000 papers on white
rhinos." The animal has been so understudied that just how many species of giraffe exist is
a matter of some debate.
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But giraffes commanded more attention at a meeting of the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on Wednesday. It was agreed there that the tallest species
on the planet was rarer than previously understood.
"Silent Extinction Going On"
"There is a silent extinction going on," said Julian Fennessy to The Washington Post by
phone early Thursday. He is an IUCN giraffe expert and director of the Giraffe
Conservation Foundation.
The IUCN is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) headquartered in
Switzerland. An NGO is a nonprofit agency or organization. The IUCN manages guidelines
called the Red List. The Red List is designed to help nations conserve threatened species.
If sufficient information exists about the animals, the list classifies creatures on a scale from
least concern to extinct. As recently as 2010, the IUCN listed the giraffe as species of least
concern.
Classified As Vulnerable
On Wednesday, the IUCN downgraded the giraffe from least concern, skipped "near
threatened" and classified the animal as vulnerable. In general, the word "vulnerable" can
mean weak or defenseless. The giraffe shares this rank with the cheetah, the leatherback
sea turtle and other rarities. Giraffes are now considered by the IUCN to be as threatened
as African elephants, though the giraffe population is a quarter of their pachyderm
neighbors.
"One of the world's most recognizable animals and the tallest land mammal is now
threatened with extinction," wrote the IUCN in a statement released Thursday.
Giraffes numbered between 151,000 and 163,000 animals, according to a 1985 estimate.
A new assessment, per an IUCN giraffe expert group formed four years ago, determined
the animals declined to 97,562 in 2015. That is, over the course of three giraffe
generations, the population dropped between 36 and 40 percent. Going back even further
in history, Fennessy said, could paint an even grimmer picture. Two hundred years ago, it
is possible there were as many as a million giraffes across Africa, he said.
Poaching, Habitat Loss
The IUCN cited human population growth and poaching as factors for the decline. Habitat
loss, too, played a role. A June 2015 study of Serengeti giraffes found their diet took a hit
after woody, "unpalatable species" of trees grew up where the tastier acacia plants once
grew. In areas disturbed by war and civil unrest, like South Sudan, giraffe subspecies such
as the Nubian giraffe have dropped by as much as 95 percent.
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Fennessy and other conservationists hope the vulnerable rank will bring needed attention
to giraffes. "People see the animals on safari in Kruger National Park," he said, referring to
a well-managed wildlife reserve in South Africa, "and they assumed that giraffes are
everywhere." As the decline shows, that is not the case.
Biologists Take A Closer Look
In addition to conservationists, biologists are also taking a closer look at the long-necked
icon. Zookeepers knew the animals would let loose the occasional snort, but scientists only
recently discovered the creatures produce deep hums, on the low end of human hearing,
after nightfall. Researchers are unspooling giraffe DNA to determine how it evolved to
stand so tall.
There are in fact four different species of giraffe, not one, argued a genetic study
published in September. The IUCN, on the other hand, recognizes only one species Giraffa camelopardalis - with nine subspecies.
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Quiz
1
2
Which of the following statements would Julian Fennessy be MOST likely to agree with?
(A)
Classifying the giraffe as vulnerable is a necessary step that will hopefully
draw public attention to the dramatic decrease in the population.
(B)
Classifying the giraffe as vulnerable is a temporary step that will be changed
once more animals are moved to Kruger National Park.
(C)
The reason for the recent decline in giraffe populations is primarily due to
flaws in its DNA that have been uncovered by biologists.
(D)
The reason for the recent decline in giraffe populations is primarily due to the
hunting of giraffes by large predators like cheetahs.
Read the paragraph from the section "Who Studies Giraffes?"
Of the most charming beasts, though, giraffes never managed to
generate the attention that others have gotten. They are not quite on
par with rhinoceroses - a subspecies of which is poised to vanish - or
elephants, facing a long and bitter history of ivory poaching.
Which idea is BEST supported by this paragraph?
3
(A)
There is reason to believe that giraffes have suffered the same ivory
poaching and subspecies extinction as other animals.
(B)
Less consideration has been given to giraffes because they did not suffer
the public struggles of other species.
(C)
Giraffes are less valuable to the scientific community than animals like
elephants or rhinoceroses.
(D)
Scientists are not worried about giraffes but think rhinoceroses and
elephants will be extinct within the next decade.
How does the article develop the idea of possible extinction as a central threat to giraffes?
(A)
by interviewing expert biologists who have studied giraffes for many years
(B)
by describing conservation efforts that are taking place in national parks
(C)
by citing recent studies of population and changes in giraffes' environment
(D)
by highlighting responses of people who live near giraffes to their
classification
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.
4
4
All four sentences from the section "Classified As Vulnerable" help make the claim that the
giraffe population has drastically declined in the last 30 years.
Which of the following is the STRONGEST piece of evidence to support the claim?
(A)
On Wednesday, the IUCN downgraded the giraffe from least concern,
skipped "near threatened" and classified the animal as vulnerable.
(B)
Giraffes are now considered by the IUCN to be as threatened as African
elephants, though the giraffe population is a quarter of their pachyderm
neighbors.
(C)
That is, over the course of three giraffe generations, the population dropped
between 36 and 40 percent.
(D)
Two hundred years ago, it is possible there were as many as a million
giraffes across Africa, he said.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.
5
Answer Key
1
2
Which of the following statements would Julian Fennessy be MOST likely to agree with?
(A)
Classifying the giraffe as vulnerable is a necessary step that will
hopefully draw public attention to the dramatic decrease in the
population.
(B)
Classifying the giraffe as vulnerable is a temporary step that will be changed
once more animals are moved to Kruger National Park.
(C)
The reason for the recent decline in giraffe populations is primarily due to
flaws in its DNA that have been uncovered by biologists.
(D)
The reason for the recent decline in giraffe populations is primarily due to the
hunting of giraffes by large predators like cheetahs.
Read the paragraph from the section "Who Studies Giraffes?"
Of the most charming beasts, though, giraffes never managed to
generate the attention that others have gotten. They are not quite on
par with rhinoceroses - a subspecies of which is poised to vanish - or
elephants, facing a long and bitter history of ivory poaching.
Which idea is BEST supported by this paragraph?
3
(A)
There is reason to believe that giraffes have suffered the same ivory
poaching and subspecies extinction as other animals.
(B)
Less consideration has been given to giraffes because they did not
suffer the public struggles of other species.
(C)
Giraffes are less valuable to the scientific community than animals like
elephants or rhinoceroses.
(D)
Scientists are not worried about giraffes but think rhinoceroses and
elephants will be extinct within the next decade.
How does the article develop the idea of possible extinction as a central threat to giraffes?
(A)
by interviewing expert biologists who have studied giraffes for many years
(B)
by describing conservation efforts that are taking place in national parks
(C)
by citing recent studies of population and changes in giraffes'
environment
(D)
by highlighting responses of people who live near giraffes to their
classification
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.
6
4
All four sentences from the section "Classified As Vulnerable" help make the claim that the
giraffe population has drastically declined in the last 30 years.
Which of the following is the STRONGEST piece of evidence to support the claim?
(A)
On Wednesday, the IUCN downgraded the giraffe from least concern,
skipped "near threatened" and classified the animal as vulnerable.
(B)
Giraffes are now considered by the IUCN to be as threatened as African
elephants, though the giraffe population is a quarter of their pachyderm
neighbors.
(C)
That is, over the course of three giraffe generations, the population
dropped between 36 and 40 percent.
(D)
Two hundred years ago, it is possible there were as many as a million
giraffes across Africa, he said.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.
7