The giraffe population in Africa has dropped about 40 percent in just 15 years, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
The organization's director, Dr. Julian Fennessy, told ABC News: "It's a silent extinction," noting that giraffe numbers have fallen to 80,000 from 140,000.
In what is a familiar refrain for many species, the giraffe population has plummeted due to habitat loss, excessive hunting and poaching.
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