World Giraffe Day 2022: Why is it observed on June 21, significance and importance

World Giraffe Day is celebrated every year on the 21st of June. This day coincidentally falls during the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. This day was actively promoted by Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and they use this day to highlight the problems these tall animals face in their natural habitat. They also use this day for the collection of funds to help these animals to propagate and sustain themselves due to their ever-dwindling numbers.

Giraffes can grow to a height of about 18 feet and therefore their existence has been documented by man for a long time, actually since the time man has maintained manuscripts. The Egyptians were the earliest to document their existence and you had them in their art and papyrus records. The Pharoah Hatshepsut was known to own a zoo that included giraffes. Giraffes have been written about by travelers from almost all over the world from Greece to China in ancient times. The Egyptians used to weave giraffe tails for belts and jewellery. Later, giraffes were also hunted for medicinal purposes and for fashion.

Due to hunting, giraffe populations dwindled over a period of time and by the 19th century, their population came down steeply. Today there exist four subspecies of giraffes. Their genus has been divided into the Northern Giraffe, Southern Giraffe, Masai Giraffe, and the reticulated giraffe. Their steady decline in population happened over the next few decades and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has changed its status from “least concern” to “vulnerable” in 2016. The main reason for their populations dwindling is poaching for medicines, their skins for fashion clothing, their tails and hair for unknown reasons, and for their meat. Conservators have now called for their protection in the wild.