Giraffes were just added to the list of species facing the threat of extinction

Getty Images/Cameron Spencer

• Two subspecies of giraffes are now "critically endangered," according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 
• Kordofan and Nubian giraffes live across East, Central, and West Africa and are at risk of being extinct.
• Illegal hunting as well as loss of habitat due to agriculture and mining are considered the biggest threats to giraffes.

THE WORLD’S TALLEST land mammal might be facing extinction. Two subspecies of giraffes (out of the nine in existence) have just been added to the “critically endangered” list for the first time, according to the latest report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Kordofan and Nubian giraffe subspecies — found mainly across East, Central, and West Africa — are now classified as “critically endangered,” while the reticulated giraffe — native to the Horn of Africa — is listed as “endangered.” Since giraffes are widely overlooked when it comes to research and conservation efforts, the new classifications came as a surprise, even to some conservationists.

Read more: 13 rare animals that are teetering on the brink of extinction

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