Officials suggest giving giraffes endangered species safety

Due to a decline in wild populations in Africa, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed Wednesday to declare several giraffe subspecies endangered or threatened.

Under the Endangered Species Act, it’s illegal without a permit to move a listed animal or plant in or out of the U.S.

The federal FWS proposed declaring West African, Kordofan and Nubian giraffes as endangered and the Masai giraffes as threatened.

Since 1985, the number of West African, Kordofan and Nubian giraffes has declined by 77% to under 6,000. The West African giraffes are particularly imperiled, the FWS said, having disappeared from multiple West African countries.

If the status of the giraffes is changed, import permits would be required for giraffe trophies and live giraffes, and more funding would go to giraffe conservation programs.

The proposed rule will be open for public comment in the U.S. Federal Register for 90 days from now until Feb. 19.