There are a large number of rare beasts on the African continent of more than 30 million square kilometers, but giraffes are the most outstanding ones no matter what. However, the giraffe is under the threat of silent extinction. Over the past 30 years, the overall number of giraffes in Africa has decreased by 40%, and some species face particularly high risk of extinction, such as the number of Roche giraffes, which were once classified as endangered, has dropped by about 80%.
So in Africa, in order to protect this wonderful species with great African characteristics, people attach great importance to the protection of wild animal poaching, giraffe protection zone construction, etc., giraffes in South Africa have been named a national beast and are deeply loved by everyone.
[Giraffe Family]
Giraffe is the most well-known animal on the African continent. They have long necks and their bodies are covered with interlaced patterns of yellow-brown and white intertwined color, and they walk slowly and gracefully on the prairie.
However, there are more than one type of giraffe living on the African savanna. Through gene sampling research by scientists, giraffes are classified into four species, namely reticular giraffe , northern giraffe, southern giraffe and marathon giraffe (there are 9 subspecies in total).
[Giraffe Protection]
Tall body shape also means more food demand. Giraffes spend about 16 to 20 hours a day foraging. However, due to human activities, giraffes' habitat has been reduced continuously, and their food sources have decreased dramatically. In addition, as the various small groups of giraffes are scattered independently in different places, the reproduction between groups is significantly restricted. Therefore, establishing giraffe reserves and improving captive breeding technology to concentrate more giraffes has good effect and significance for species reproduction and prevention of poaching.
However, the work of protecting giraffes is still difficult to actually implement, and transportation alone is a great challenge. In Kenya, people spent 15 months carrying out a "giraffe rescue operation" to help nine giraffes move homes from a flooded island to a nature reserve on the mainland by boat. has continued to rain heavily in recent years, and the water level has continued to rise. The island has become an isolated island surrounded by water. The water has flooded the houses and shops on the shore and seriously threatened the survival of these Luo family giraffes. Therefore, it is imperative to evacuate and transfer these giraffes on the island to a safer continental area. However, due to the particular sensitivity of giraffes and their unique cardiovascular structure, the moving work must be completed slowly and gradually.
[23 giraffes come to Kunming]
On November 26, 2013, 23 giraffes "immigrated" from Kunming by a special plane from South Africa. The giraffes on the plane moved into 8 "dormitories" respectively, and the route to Kunming (Johannesburg, South Africa - Singapore 10 hours and 40 minutes Singapore - Kunming Changshui International Airport 3 and a half hours Kunming Changshui International Airport - Yunnan Wildlife Park 2 hours and 10 minutes).
23 giraffes are male and 17 female. The average height is about 2.6 meters. They are all young giraffes about one year old. It is understood that this is the largest giraffe introduction in China. This batch of giraffes was introduced this time for population breeding, plateau giraffe breeding and scientific research and exhibition.
After a series of isolation and quarantine, as well as long environmental and climate adaptation, it was not until the end of June 2016 that these 23 giraffes met with tourists and friends in Kunming for the first time. So far, these 23 giraffes are adult individuals around 10 years old, and since 2017, they have given birth to babies every year, which has expanded the ethnic group while also ensuring the continuation of the benign genetic diversity.
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