Giraffes are on the verge of extinction. For years, the beloved long-necked animals have faced huge habitat loss from humans. The animals are also brutally killed by trophy hunters and poachers who hunt the gentle animals for their skin and bones.

But there is hope. A coalition of nonprofit organizations are asking U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to add the giraffe to the Endangered Species List. If the FWS refuses, giraffes could disappear forever.

In just the past three decades, the population of giraffes in Africa has decreased an astounding 40 percent. Now, there are only 97,000 left in the wild. If action is not taken, this number could quickly drop even further.

Currently, the U.S. is one of the largest importers of giraffe parts. Each year, about 3,000 skin pieces, 3,700 hunting trophies, and 21,400 bone carvings are imported into the country. If the U.S. lists giraffes as endangered, it will become illegal to import most of these giraffe parts. Cruel poachers will lose a huge percentage of their customers.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature recently elevated the threat levels on giraffes from “least concern” to “vulnerable” on their list of threatened species. Now, it’s time for the United States to follow suit. The Center for Biological Diversity, Humane Society International, The Humane Society of the United States, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Natural Resources Defense Council have filed a legal petition to add the giraffe to the U.S. Endangered Species List. With enough public pressure, the chances of saving the giraffe will increase.

Sign this petition to tell the Fish and Wildlife Services that giraffes must be added to the Endangered Species List - before this amazing  species goes extinct.