text: Image copyright IUCN Image caption A combination of factors has helped drive down giraffe populations in many parts of Africa 
   
   A dramatic drop in giraffe populations over the past 30 years has seen the world's tallest land mammal classified as vulnerable to extinction. 
   
   Numbers have gone from around 155,000 in 1985 to 97,000 in 2015 according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 
   
   The iconic animal has declined because of habitat loss, poaching and civil unrest in many parts of Africa. 
   
   Some populations are growing, mainly in southern parts of the continent. 
   
   Until now, the conservation status of giraffes was considered of "least concern" by the IUCN. 
   
   The giraffes are war fodder, a large animal, extremely curious that can feed a lot of people Dr Julian Fennessy, IUCN 
   
   However in their latest global Red List of threatened species, the ungainly animal is now said to be "vulnerable", meaning that over three generations, the population has declined by more that 30%. 
   
   According to Dr Julian Fennessy, who co-chairs the IUCN giraffe specialist group, the creatures are undergoing a "silent extinction". 
   
   "If you go on a safari, giraffes are everywhere," he told BBC News. 
   
   "While there have been great concern about elephants and rhinos, giraffes have gone under the radar but, unfortunately, their numbers have been plummeting, and this is something that we were a little shocked about, that they have declined by so much in so little time." 
   
   The rapid growth of human populations has seen the expansion of farming and other forms of development that has resulted in the fragmentation of the giraffe's range in many parts of Africa. But civil unrest in parts of the continent has also taken its toll. 
   
   "In these war torn areas, in northern Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia in the border area with South Sudan, essentially the giraffes are war fodder, a large animal, extremely curious that can feed a lot of people," said Dr Fennessy. 
   
   Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Habitat loss and war are among the ways humans have caused the big drop in giraffe numbers, says Mike Jordan of Chester Zoo 
   
   A study in recent months suggested that the giraffe was actually four different species but for this update of the Redlist, the IUCN have stuck with the traditional definition of one species with nine subspecies. 
   
   Of these, five have had falling populations, one has remained stable while three have grown. Different outcomes seem to be highly dependent on location. 
   
   Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The curious nature of the giraffe makes them an easier target for hunters and armed gangs 
   
   "The species in southern Africa, those numbers are increasing by two to three times over the last three decades," said Dr Fennessy. 
   
   "But when you come up through East Africa, those numbers have plummeted some by up to 95% of the population in the case of the Nubian giraffe, in the last three decades alone." 
   
   Solutions exist 
   
   While researchers believe that some local populations may not survive, there is optimism that that the long term future of these tall creatures can be secured. 
   
   The success in keeping giraffe numbers high in Southern Africa has much to do with the management of game parks for tourists say experts, who believe that the extra attention that the IUCN listing will now attract will benefit the species. 
   
   "South Africa is a good example of how you can manage wildlife, there is a lot of moving of animals between different conservation areas, it is a very different scenario than in most of the rest of Africa." said Chris Ransom from the Zoological Society of London. 
   
   "I think giraffes can survive, with the right conservation efforts, and we can ensure that the animals do live in the wild. There are a lot of cases of success in conservation. The giraffes could be one." 
   
   The latest edition of the IUCN Red List now contains over 85,000 species in total with more than 24,000 threatened with extinction. Over 700 newly recognised bird species have been added, with 11% of them on the edge of survival. 
   
   One bird, the Antioquia wren has been listed as "endangered" as more than half of its habitat in Colombia could be wiped out by proposed dam. 
   
   Invasive species on islands are also seen as a threat for many birds including the Pagan reed-warbler and the Laysan honeycreeper. 
   
   Image copyright IUCN Image caption The Java sparrow is now regarded as vulnerable in the Red List classification 
   
   The publication also includes the first assessment of crops including wild oats, barley, mango and other wild relative plants. 
   
   "Many species are slipping away before we can even describe them," says IUCN Director General Inger Andersen. "This IUCN Red List update shows that the scale of the global extinction crisis may be even greater than we thought." 
   
   Follow Matt on Twitter and on Facebook ||||| NOTING that the Giraffidae family includes only two living species, restricted to the African continent: the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), currently comprising nine savannah subspecies occurring patchily in 21 countries, and the okapi (Okapia johnstoni), restricted to the north-eastern rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); 
   
   HIGHLIGHTING that despite their iconic status, wide public affection, cultural and economic importance and role in the functioning of African ecosystems, giraffe and okapi are relatively poorly studied and receive limited conservation attention and funding; 
   
   ALARMED that recent surveys and reviews highlight severe range reductions, population declines and increasing fragmentation, due to habitat loss and degradation (for agricultural expansion, timber and fuelwood collection, infrastructure development and extractive activities), human encroachment and settlement, poaching, war and civil unrest; 
   
   NOTING that while previously listed as Least Concern and Near Threatened, giraffe and okapi have recently been assessed as Vulnerable and Endangered respectively in the IUCN Red List due to population declines of 35–50% over the past three decades, with some giraffe subspecies now Critically Endangered; 
   
   RECALLING the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Target 12: "The extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained"; 
   
   NOTING Resolution 5.022 Supporting regional initiatives to conserve mammal diversity in West and Central Africa and Recommendation 5.157 Protection of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and communities of the Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Jeju, 2012); 
   
   APPLAUDING the publishing of the Okapi Conservation Strategy 2015-2025 by IUCN and ICCN; and 
   
   CONCERNED that without urgent implementation of this Strategy, similar conservation efforts focused on giraffe and wider actions to address overarching threats, overall numbers of both species will continue to fall and some giraffe subspecies may be lost forever; ||||| Established in 1964, The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species. 
   
   The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Far more than a list of species and their status, it is a powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to protecting the natural resources we need to survive. It provides information about range, population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation actions that will help inform necessary conservation decisions. ||||| Cancun, Mexico, 8 December 2016 (IUCN) – Over 700 newly recognised bird species have been assessed for the latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM, and 11% of them are threatened with extinction. The update also reveals a devastating decline for the giraffe, driven by habitat loss, civil unrest and illegal hunting. The global giraffe population has plummeted by up to 40% over the last 30 years, and the species has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. 
   
   Today’s IUCN Red List update also includes the first assessments of wild oats, barley, mango and other crop wild relative plants. These species are increasingly critical to food security, as their genetic diversity can help improve crop resistance to disease, drought and salinity. 
   
   The update was released today at the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP13) in Cancun, Mexico. The IUCN Red List now includes 85,604 species of which 24,307 are threatened with extinction. 
   
   “Many species are slipping away before we can even describe them,” says IUCN Director General Inger Andersen. “This IUCN Red List update shows that the scale of the global extinction crisis may be even greater than we thought. Governments gathered at the UN biodiversity summit in Cancun have the immense responsibility to step up their efforts to protect our planet’s biodiversity – not just for its own sake but for human imperatives such as food security and sustainable development.” 
   
   Birds: Newly recognised, already threatened 
   
   This IUCN Red List update includes the reassessment of all bird species. Thanks to a comprehensive taxonomic review compiled by BirdLife International, working in collaboration with the Handbook of the Birds of the World, the overall number of bird species assessed has reached 11,121. 
   
   A total of 742 newly recognised bird species have been assessed, 11% of which are threatened. For example, the recently described Antioquia wren (Thryophilus sernai) has been listed as Endangered as more than half of its habitat could be wiped out by a single planned dam construction. Habitat loss to agriculture and degradation by invasive plants have also pushed the striking Comoro blue vanga (Cyanolanius comorensis) into the Endangered category. 
   
   Thirteen of the newly recognised bird species enter the IUCN Red List as Extinct. Several of these have been lost within the past 50 years – such as the Pagan reed-warbler (Acrocephalus yamashinae), O’ahu akepa (Loxops wolstenholmei) and Laysan honeycreeper (Himatione fraithii). All of these species were endemic to islands, and were most likely wiped out by invasive species. 
   
   “Unfortunately, recognising more than 700 ‘new’ species does not mean that the world's birds are faring better,” says Dr Ian Burfield, BirdLife’s Global Science Coordinator. “As our knowledge deepens, so our concerns are confirmed: unsustainable agriculture, logging, invasive species and other threats – such as the illegal trade highlighted here – are still driving many species towards extinction." 
   
   IUCN Red List assessments also reveal that some of the world's most popular birds may soon disappear in the wild if appropriate action isn't taken. Iconic species, such as the African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) – a prized pet with the ability to mimic human speech – are facing extinction in the wild due to unsustainable trapping and habitat loss. Native to central Africa, the grey parrot has seen its conservation status deteriorate from Vulnerable to Endangered. A study led by BirdLife International discovered that in some parts of the continent numbers of grey parrots have declined by as much as 99%. 
   
   The situation is most pressing in Asia, with the rufous-fronted laughingthrush (Garrulax rufifrons), scarlet-breasted lorikeet (Trichoglossus forsteni) and Straw-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) among a suite of species being uplisted to higher threat categories as a result of the impacts of illegal wildlife trade. There is now evidence that unsustainable levels of capture for the cagebird trade, largely centred on Java, are driving the deteriorating status of many species. 
   
   However, there is good news for some of the rarest and most vulnerable birds on our planet – those that exist only on small, isolated islands. The Azores bullfinch (Pyrrhula murina), St Helena plover (Charadrius sanctaehelenae) and Seychelles white-eye (Zosterops modestus) are among the island endemic species to move to lower categories in this IUCN Red List update, as their populations recover from the brink of extinction thanks to tireless conservation efforts. 
   
   Giraffe 
   
   The iconic giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), one of the world's most recognisable animals and the tallest land mammal, is now threatened with extinction. The species, which is widespread across southern and eastern Africa, with smaller isolated subpopulations in west and central Africa, has moved from Least Concern to Vulnerable due to a dramatic 36-40% decline from approximately 151,702-163,452 individuals in 1985 to 97,562 in 2015. 
   
   The growing human population is having a negative impact on many giraffe subpopulations. Illegal hunting, habitat loss and changes through expanding agriculture and mining, increasing human-wildlife conflict, and civil unrest are all pushing the species towards extinction. Of the nine subspecies of giraffe, three have increasing populations, whilst five have decreasing populations and one is stable. 
   
   A resolution adopted at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September this year called for action to reverse the decline of the giraffe. 
   
   Crop wild relatives 
   
   With this update, the first assessments of 233 wild relatives of crop plants such as barley, oats and sunflowers have been added to the IUCN Red List. Habitat loss, primarily due to agricultural expansion, is the major threat to many of these species. The assessments were completed as part of a partnership between Toyota Motor Corporation and IUCN, whose aim is to broaden the IUCN Red List to include the extinction risk of many species that are key food sources for a significant portion of the global population. 
   
   Crop wild relatives are a source of genetic material for new and existing crop species, allowing for increased disease and drought resistance, fertility, nutritional value and other desirable traits. Almost every species of plant that humans have domesticated and now cultivate has one or more crop wild relatives. However, these species have received little systematic conservation attention until now. 
   
   Four mango species have been listed as Endangered, and the Kalimantan mango (Mangifera casturi) has been listed as Extinct in the Wild. These species are relatives of the common mango (Mangifera indica) and are threatened by habitat loss. Native to South Asia, mangoes are now cultivated in many tropical and sub-tropical countries and they are one of the most commercially important fruits in these regions. 
   
   A relative of cultivated asparagus, hamatamabouki (Asparagus kiusianus), which is native to Japan, has been listed as Endangered due to habitat loss caused by urban expansion and agriculture. Loss of habitat is also the main threat to the Anomalus sunflower (Helianthus anomalus) which has been listed as Vulnerable and is a relative of the sunflower (H. annuus). Cicer bijugum, native to Iran and Turkey, is a wild relative of the chickpea (C. arietinum); it has been listed as Endangered due to habitat conversion to agriculture. 
   
   “Crop wild relative species are under increasing threat from urbanisation, habitat fragmentation and intensive farming, and probably climate change,” says Mr. Kevin Butt, General Manager, Regional Environmental Sustainability Director, Toyota Motor North America. “To conserve this vital gene pool for crop improvement we need to urgently improve our knowledge about these species. Toyota is pleased to provide support for the assessment of these and other species on The IUCN Red List.” 
   
   Freshwater species – Lake Victoria 
   
   All freshwater molluscs, crabs, dragonflies and freshwater fishes native to Lake Victoria in central Africa are included in this update. Key threats to Lake Victoria – known as Darwin’s dream pond due to its high biodiversity – include invasive species such as the Nile perch (Lates niloticus), overharvesting, sedimentation due to logging and agriculture, as well as water pollution from pesticides and herbicides. 
   
   For more information or interviews please contact: 
   
   Goska Bonnaveira, IUCN Media Relations, m +41 79 276 01 85, e-mail goska.bonnaveira@iucn.org 
   
   Ewa Magiera, IUCN Media Relations, m +41 76 505 33 78, e-mail ewa.magiera@iucn.org 
   
   
   
   Notes to editors 
   
   Birds 
   
   This update of birds for the IUCN Red List reflects the second of a two-part comprehensive taxonomic review of birds; this update focussed on passerine birds – 'perching birds' such as flycatchers, thrushes, crows and finches – and has led to the recognition of 742 new species, many of which were previously treated as subspecies of other species. The new total of 6,649 passerines implies that avian diversity at the species level was previously underestimated by more than 10%. BirdLife now applies a single, consistent taxonomic approach worldwide, across all species. As a result, the number of recognised species rises above 11,000 for the first time to 11,121. Thirteen out of the 742 newly recognised species are already extinct – all were island endemics – and likely driven extinct by invasive species (on Hawai'i, Pacific islands, Indian Ocean islands, Galápagos and Bermuda). 
   
   First non-English language assessments published 
   
   The first non-English language assessments have been published on the IUCN Red List. Assessments for 20 species from the State of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil have been included, with the text in Portuguese. They were provided by CNCFlora (who also serve as the IUCN SSC Brazil Plant Red List Authority). These species are mostly localised endemics from the Mata Atlântica forest which has been substantially reduced by urban and agricultural expansion. 
   
   Supporting quotes 
   
   “Whilst giraffe are commonly seen on safari, in the media and in zoos, people – including conservationists – are unaware that these majestic animals are undergoing a silent extinction. With a decline of almost 40% in the last three decades alone, the world's tallest animal is under severe pressure in some of its core ranges across East, Central and West Africa. As one of the world's most iconic animals, it is timely that we stick our neck out for the giraffe before it is too late,” says Julian Fennessy, co-chair of the IUCN SSC Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group. 
   
   “Despite continuing conservation efforts to protect the immense diversity of life in Lake Victoria from growing threats, we are still seeing alarming declines in species populations, as this Red List update shows. Systematic monitoring at the species level has been lacking so far, and we urgently need to invest in monitoring and more conservation action to protect these species, many of which are critical to the livelihoods of people living around the lake,” says Dr William Darwall, Head of IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Unit. 
   
   Quotes from Red List partners 
   
   "The addition of new species to the IUCN Red List, some of them already threatened with extinction, emphasises the urgency to produce conservation assessments to better prioritise species in need of conservation action as soon as the species are discovered. The first assessments of many crop wild relatives also highlight the need for conservation action, both in situ and ex situ, to ensure our future food security." - Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BCGI) 
   
   “It is certainly a concern that iconic species like the loquacious African grey parrot (Endangered) and the giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis (Vulnerable) are now listed as Threatened,” states Dr. Thomas Lacher, Jr. from Texas A&M University. “In addition, four wild relatives of the common mango are now Endangered and an additional wild relative Extinct in the Wild. The loss of genetic diversity in the wild relatives of many of our domestic food crops only erodes future options for new crop resources under changing climates.” 
   
   The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) supports the management and monitoring of key sites for giraffe in the wild, including the Tsavo Conservation Area in Kenya via the SMART patrol management system, and has also supported the development of Kenya’s first National Giraffe Conservation Strategy. Both ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo are home to giraffes, and ZSL co-hosts the IUCN SSC Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Co-chair of the Specialist Group, ZSL’s Dr Noëlle Kümpel warns, “Most people have no idea that both species of giraffid, the giraffe and its lesser-known Congolese rainforest cousin the okapi, are suffering dramatic declines and are now both threatened with extinction. IUCN recently passed a key resolution calling for greater awareness and efforts to secure the future of these hugely charismatic, iconic and gentle species in the wild, including safeguarding key protected areas.” 
   
   "Several newly recognized bird species have made it to the Red List as Extinct, suggesting that extinction rates for other taxa are likely higher than we think. Yet there are bright spots - many rare and vulnerable birds have shown signs of recovery, providing good evidence that it is not too late to recover extant populations that are balancing on the brink of extinction," says Leah Gerber, Director, Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Arizona State University. 
   
   "It is critical as a global community that we continue to identify, prioritize, and conserve biodiversity, and the diversity of crop wild relatives, as we experience more and more climate driven impacts. These species can help crops and communities become more resilient and adapt to new conditions created by climate change," says Daniela Raik, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Moore Center for Science. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — The giraffe, the tallest land animal, is now at risk of extinction, biologists say. 
   
   Because the giraffe population has shrunk nearly 40 percent in just 30 years, scientists put it on the official watch list of threatened and endangered species worldwide, calling it "vulnerable." That's two steps up the danger ladder from its previous designation of being a species of least concern. In 1985, there were between 151,000 and 163,000 giraffes but in 2015 the number was down to 97,562, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 
   
   At a biodiversity meeting Wednesday in Mexico, the IUCN increased the threat level for 35 species and lowered the threat level for seven species on its "Red List" of threatened species, considered by scientists the official list of what animals and plants are in danger of disappearing. 
   
   The giraffe is the only mammal whose status changed on the list this year. Scientists blame habitat loss. 
   
   While everyone worries about elephants, Earth has four times as many pachyderms as giraffes, said Julian Fennessy and Noelle Kumpel, co-chairs of the specialty group of biologists that put the giraffe on the IUCN Red List. They both called what's happening to giraffes a "silent extinction." 
   
   "Everyone assumes giraffes are everywhere," said Fennessy, co-director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. 
   
   But they're not, Fennessy said. Until recently, biologists hadn't done a good job assessing giraffes' numbers and where they can be found, and they have been lumped into one broad species instead of nine separate subspecies. 
   
   "There's a strong tendency to think that familiar species (such as giraffes, chimps, etc.) must be OK because they are familiar and we see them in zoos," said Duke University conservation biologist Stuart Pimm, who wasn't part of the work and has criticized the IUCN for not putting enough species on the threat list. "This is dangerous." 
   
   Fennessy blamed shrinking living space as the main culprit in the declining giraffe population, worsened by poaching and disease. People are moving into giraffe areas especially in central and eastern Africa. Giraffe numbers are plunging most in central and eastern Africa and are being offset by increases in southern Africa, he said. 
   
   This has fragmented giraffe populations, making them shrink in size with wild giraffes gone from seven countries — Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Guinea, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal, said Kumpel of the Zoological Society of London. 
   
   The IUCN says 860 plant and animal species are extinct, and another 68 are extinct in the wild. Nearly 13,000 are endangered or critically endangered. The next level is vulnerable, where giraffes were placed, followed by near threatened and least concerned. 
   
   The status of two snake species worsened. The ornate ground snake, which lives on the tiny island of Saint Lucia, deteriorated from endangered to critically endangered. The Lacepede's ground snake of Martinique, which was already critically endangered, is now considered possibly extinct, pending confirmation, as is the trondo mainty, a river fish in Madagascar. 
   
   But there is also good news for some species. The Victoria stonebasher, a freshwater fish in Africa, went from being considered endangered to least concerned with a stable population. And an African plant, the acmadenia candida, which was declared extinct, has been rediscovered and is now considered endangered. Another freshwater fish, ptychochromoides itasy, which hadn't been seen since the 1960s, has been rediscovered in small numbers in Africa's Sakay River and is now considered critically endangered. 
   
   ___ 
   
   Online: 
   
   International Union for the Conservation of Nature: https://www.iucn.org/ 
   
   ___ 
   
   Follow Seth Borenstein at http://twitter.com/borenbears and his work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/seth-borenstein
target: – No one used to pay much mind to the giraffes that roamed Africa. But new numbers from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature show a significant decline in their population over the past three decades and have conservationists worried that the elegant creature is falling victim to what one IUCN expert calls a "silent extinction," the BBC reports. In 1985, there were between 152,000 and 163,000 giraffes, but that number dropped to 97,000 by 2015—a "devastating decline" of nearly 40% that now moves the animal from the "least concern" category into the "vulnerable" one on the group's Red List. "While there [has] been great concern about elephants and rhinos, giraffes have gone under the radar," says Dr. Fennessy, co-director of the IUCN's Giraffe Conservation arm. The updated Red List, released Thursday at a biological diversity conference in Cancun, Mexico, points to man as the main driver of the declining stats, with poaching, habitat loss, and local unrest all assuming partial blame. A Duke University conservation biologist says the IUCN is partly to blame, too, for not considering more species threatened. "There's a strong tendency to think that familiar species [such as giraffes, chimps, etc.] must be OK because ... we see them in zoos," he tells the AP. "This is dangerous." Some good news, at least for some long-neckers: Of the nine giraffe subspecies, three of them are experiencing increasing populations; one is stable. A resolution passed in September at the IUCN's World Conservation Congress hopes to reverse the falling numbers of "Africa's iconic megafauna." (Three rare giraffes were killed for their tails.)