According to the African Wildlife Foundation , the leading international conservation organization focused on African wildlife and wilderness, the number of giraffes in the wild is drastically declining as their habitats are being reduced . In the late 19th and 20th centuries herds numbered 20-30 individuals but now average herd sizes contain fewer than six animals.
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), for its part, lists four main threats to this species: loss of habitat, civil unrest, illegal hunting and ecological changes (climate change and habitat conversion). In 1985 there were approximately 150,000 wild giraffes. Now there are fewer than 97,000, according to the IUCN.
