Giraffes, among the most iconic and inoffensive animals on the planet, have emerged as the most popular target for British trophy hunters, sparking outrage among campaigners who say the public has been kept largely in the dark about the scale of the killing. An investigation by the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting found that 675 trophies from 45 different species classed as endangered by CITES have been brought into Britain since 2020, with giraffes topping the list. Often viewed as peaceful herbivores roaming the African plains, giraffes are routinely shot so their bones, feet and skins can be brought back to the UK as hunting trophies, a practice many people are unaware is still taking place.
