This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
June 24, 2020 - A six-year study in Tanzania has revealed that human presence in giraffe habitats is disrupting their social structures, threatening the animals with extinction.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Zurich and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, found that giraffes living near human settlements have weaker social bonds and fewer interactions with other members of their species.
The researchers tracked and mapped the social networks of 1,139 individual adult female Maasai giraffes in Tarangire, northern Tanzania, over six years. They found that giraffe communities closer to traditional Maasai compounds expressed weaker relationship strengths and were more exclusive in their associations.
The study's findings suggest that human presence could play a significant role in determining the conservation future of the giraffe, a species classified as 'vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Maasai giraffe populations have declined by 50% over the past 30 years, primarily due to poaching, habitat loss, and fragmentation. However, the study's results indicate that human presence could be an additional threat to the species' survival.
