Giraffes in Peril Show Fragile Business of Africa Wildlife Tourism
Photo Credit: Threats to the giraffe population in Africa are a threat to the business of wildlife tourism. Flickr / pike JO
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The quiet, mesmerizing beauty of giraffes makes them marketing gold for Africa's wildlife tourism industry. But the world's tallest mammals are under threat from multiple forces, poachers, diseases, even climate change. Economics aside, conservationists are in a mad dash to hasten their decline.
When you think of giraffes, you think of their beautiful patterns, long necks, and mesmerizing eyes.
They also are rarely involved in dramatic ventures or have any conflicts with human beings and that’s why most conservationists rarely talk, or think, of them as endangered.
But the recent grim picture painted by the latest statistics and research is startling. For instance, according to the latest Giraffe Conservation Foundation research, the Nubian and Kordofan subspecies of giraffes have recently been upgraded to a critically endangered status by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (UCN)’s Red List of threatened species with about 4,650 remaining.
Imperiled giraffes have the potential to impact the big business of wildlife tourism, particularly since the quiet and powerful animals are often the largest draw, especially in destinations like Kenya. Indeed, wildlife tourism makes up 36.3 percent of the continent’s travel and tou
