Giraffe populations are relatively stable. Giraffes are large and easily visible in their last remaining fragmented habitat areas. The habitat area for giraffes today is roughly identical to what it was last week. But a comparison of present habitat area to that which existed at the beginning of the last millenium tells a different story. Giraffes are not extinct. Several closely related genera and species of organisms have been driven into extinction.

Giraffes are an example of the many well known, visible and popular species whose numbers were once in ranges of tens of millions, millions or hundreds of thousands. Humans have altered, destroyed, or expropriated ever increasing areas of their habitat. And continue to do so at increasing rates. Giraffe numbers have consequently dropped precipitously. Consider the semantic ramifications of the term destroyed habitat. The term is intended to indicate areas which can no longer be inhabited by giraffes. A sugar cane plantation, for example, is an area with biotic activity. Such an area has biotic potential albiet reduced from its former natural state, yet it is not suitable for habitation by giraffes.