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Socio-economic factors correlating with illegal use of giraffe body parts

Unsustainable hunting, both illegal and legal, has led to the extirpation of many species. In the last 35 years giraffe Giraffa spp. populations have declined precipitously, with extinctions documented in seven African countries. Amongst the various reasons for these population declines, poaching is believed to play an important role in some areas. Giraffes are primarily hunted for consumption and for the use of their body parts as trophies and in traditional medicine. However, the socio-economic factors that correlate with the

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Investigating the international and pan-African trade in giraffe parts and derivatives

Three of the four newly distinguished giraffe species are in significant decline. Concern over the species’ threat status prompted a proposal to list the giraffe, which is still recognized as a single species by the IUCN, in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). However, there is a distinct lack of quantitative data and research on the scale, extent and purpose of both illegal and legal hunting, and the use and/or trading of giraffe and

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Investigating the international and pan-African trade in giraffe parts and derivatives

Three of the four newly distinguished giraffe species are in significant decline. Concern over the species’ threat status prompted a proposal to list the giraffe, which is still recognized as a single species by the IUCN, in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). However, there is a distinct lack of quantitative data and research on the scale, extent and purpose of both illegal and legal hunting, and the use and/or trading of giraffe and

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Protect giraffes from wildlife trade

The number of giraffes in Africa has plunged by 36 to 40% in only three decades, mainly due to habitat loss, human conflicts, and poaching (1). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List recently listed giraffes as Vulnerable to becoming endangered (1). Out of nine recognized giraffe subspecies, four are decreasing (1). Moreover, for five subspecies, current population estimates are fewer than 2000 individuals (1). Although more than 36,000 species are currently listed by the Convention on

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Forensic species identification of elephant (Elephantidae) and giraffe (Giraffidae) tail hair using light microscopy

Here we present methods for distinguishing tail hairs of African elephants (Loxodonta africana), Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) from forensic contexts. Such hairs are commonly used to manufacture jewelry artifacts that are often sold illegally in the international wildlife trade. Tail hairs from these three species are easily confused macroscopically, and morphological methods for distinguishing African and Asian tail hairs have not been published. We used cross section analysis and light microscopy to analyze the tail hair

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