Some species could become extinct, the world’s leading experts have warned

Giraffe numbers have plummeted by 40 per cent in the past 15 years and some species could become extinct in a “forgotten” natural tragedy, the world’s leading experts have warned.

Fifteen years ago there were 140,000 giraffes in Africa but now there are fewer than 80,000, compared with about 450,000 African elephants, according to new research.

Dr Julian Fennessy, director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the world’s only full-time giraffe conservationist, said that the mammals were not being given enough attention or protection by governments and conservation groups.

“People love giraffes but they’re taken for granted. People assume that they’re everywhere and that they’re the same across the continent,” he said.

However, the sub-species are so distinct that some of them may soon be