Historic U.S. Protections Proposed for Africa's Vanishing Giraffes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed protecting four species of giraffes under the Endangered Species Act-the first time these towering African mammals would receive federal safeguards.

The proposal, which comes seven years after NRDC and other conservation groups petitioned for this action, would designate the northern giraffe as endangered, two eastern species as threatened, and list the southern species under the similarity of appearance provision, providing crucial trade restrictions and conservation resources for populations that have plummeted by nearly 40 percent since the 1980s.

"It's great news that the United States is recognizing the significant role we play in giraffes' decline as one of the world's top importers and exporters of giraffe parts," said Elly Pepper, director of forest policy at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). "While it took seven long years to get to this point, the Fish and Wildlife Service should now move swiftly to finalize these protections, before more of these magnificent creatures are lost."

The proposal opens a 90-day public comment period, with a final decision expected within a year. If finalized, the listing of giraffes under the Endangered Species Act would:

• Restrict U.S. imports, exports, and interstate trade of giraffe parts and products
• Create new funding opportunities for conservation
• Support international efforts to protect remaining populations

The decision is in response to a 2017 petition and subsequent lawsuit by conservation groups. Giraffes face multiple threats across Africa, including habitat destruction, poaching, and regional conflicts. The international commercial trade in giraffe parts and products has also threatened giraffes, with the United States serving as a significant market for giraffe parts including bone carvings, skins, and hunting trophies. Due to this threat, NRDC and other groups also helped convince the global community to list giraffes on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 2019, which requires the monitoring of all trade in giraffe parts and certification that such trade is not detrimental to the survival of the species.

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).