@amivitale1
Ami VitaleComing together in peace and gratitude is always worth embracing. Wishing everyone around the world a moment of reflection and connection. Here, a mother giraffe nuzzles her baby outside of the village of Doulouwal Peulh in Niger. The giraffes here are all descents of a population of the last remaining 49 "white giraffes" who, driven by drought and war, followed the route of the Niger River from neighboring Mali, until finally settled here in the Koure region. They were the last remnants of the "white giraffe" who once ranged throughout West Africa, from Senegal to Nigeria. Today there are over 600 of them because of the efforts of conservationists and govermnent intervention. In 2018, the Nigerien government, with support from Giraffe Conservation Foundation and Sahara Conservation was able to successfully establish a satellite population in Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve 800km away. While there there is very still far to go, hope for this vulnerable species that was on the bring of extinction grows. Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing a number of giraffes species, including the Western Giraffe, as endangered, a response to dramatic declines caused by poaching, habitat loss, and the increasing threats of climate change. This decision, while devastating, may be what we need to provide vital protections for the species. Follow Giraffe Conservation Foundation and Sahara Conservation to learn about this important work. Photo by Ami Vitale #giraffes #giraffe #extinction #dontletthemdisappear #niger
On the profile · Nov 28, 2024