The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified giraffes as “vulnerable to extinction” after the global population of the iconic animal declined drastically over the last few decades.

The global number of giraffes declined to nearly 97,000 in 2015, from roughly 155,000 in 1985. The drastic decline prompted researchers to move the animal from the “Least Concern” category to “Vulnerable” category.

The IUCN report stated, “The species, which is widespread across southern and eastern Africa, with smaller isolated subpopulations in west and central Africa, has moved from Least Concern to Vulnerable due to a dramatic 36 to 40 percent decline from approximately 151,702-163,452 individuals in 1985 to 97,562 in 2015.”

The alarming rate of giraffe deaths is because of various factors including habitat loss, poaching and civil unrest in parts of Africa.

The World Conservation Congress (WCC) recently passed a resolution to protect giraffes’ natural habitats in various parts of the world to help solve this extinction issue. The resolution includes measures like better security at parks and wildlife refuges, particularly in Cameroon, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.