Photo by amivitale | An orphaned baby reticulated giraffe embraces r.e.s.c.u.e wildlife keeper Lekupania. This giraffe, like others before him, will be rehabilitated and returned to the wild. Giraffes are undergoing what has been referred to as a silent extinction. Their populations across Africa are estimated to have dropped 40 percent in three decades, plummeting from approximately 155,000 in the late 1980s to under 100,000 today. The decline is thought to be caused by habitat loss, fragmentation, and poaching, but because there haven't been long-term conservation steps in the past, it's hard to know exactly what is happening. Reticulated giraffes number fewer than 16,000 individuals. Scientists are undertaking major studies to understand why giraffes are disappearing and what can be done to stop it. Follow amivitale to learn more. #giraffes #giraffe #kenya