Habitat loss and fragmentation (due to human population growth, deforestation, agriculture, and land use conversion) are the main threats to giraffes in the wild.

The hunting of giraffes is legal in some countries but illegal in others. Giraffes are hunted for their meat, pelts, tails, and hair. Their body parts are commercially traded, often exported from Africa to markets in the U.S., Europe, and other locations. The key with giraffes, like so many other species, is to ensure that people refrain from buying products, including tourist souvenirs, that are made from giraffe parts.

Giraffes are also targeted in trophy hunts. Learn more about trophy hunting »

Giraffes are kept and exploited in zoos and circuses. Because wild giraffes are specialized herbivores who live complex lives and roam over large expanses, being confined to small enclosures can lead to extreme frustration and boredom. Captive giraffes often exhibit abnormal behaviors, such as repeatedly twisting their necks or licking the bars of their cage.

In February 2014, Born Free spoke out against Denmark’s Copenhagen Zoo, which publicly killed a healthy, “unwanted” 18-month-old giraffe, Marius, with a bolt gun to avoid inbreeding in the zoo’s giraffe population. The zoo then performed a public autopsy – attended by children and families – where they dissected Marius. Still in front of an audience, they then fed him to the zoo’s lions, tigers, and leopards. Copenhagen Zoo’s scientific director justified these actions by explaining that his job is to preserve species, not individual animals.

However, Born Free’s philosophy of compassionate conservation always takes individual animals into consideration. We are committed to ensuring the safety and survival of every member of this iconic species.

Giraffes are also traded and sold as exotic pets. A single giraffe can be sold for tens of thousands of dollars.

Learn about Born Free’s work to stop the keeping and exploitation of exotic animals in captivity, including in zoos and circuses.

Giraffe populations are affected by civil unrest, such as rebel militias, ethnic violence, and paramilitary and military operations.

Ecological changes (like mining activity and conversion of habitat to agriculture) and environmental changes (like severe drought) pose risks to giraffe populations.