The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said on Nov. 20 that it is proposing federal protections for several giraffe species in response to their declining populations, caused by a combination of poaching, habitat loss, and the impacts of droughts.
In a Nov. 20 statement, the agency proposed listing all three subspecies of northern giraffe from west, central, and east Africa as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, following what it said was a review of “the best available scientific and commercial information.”
Under the act, which went into effect in 1973, federal agencies must ensure their actions do not jeopardize the continued existence of any listed threatened or endangered plants, animals, or the critical habitats in which they live….