Ami Vitale. Lekupania with Giraffe.

An orphaned baby reticulated giraffe named Twiga embraces Sarara Camp wildlife keeper Lekupania. Twiga was rehabilitated, returned to the wild and integrated into a wild herd.

Across Africa, giraffes are undergoing what has been referred to as a silent extinction. Current estimates are that populations have dropped 40 percent in three decades, plummeting from approximately 155,000 in the late 1980s to under 100,000 today, largely from habitat loss and some poaching. 

Ami Vitale’s career stands as a testament to her deep dedication to documenting and addressing global crises. As an acclaimed National Geographic photographer, writer, and documentary filmmaker, as well as the founder of Vital Impacts, Ami has consistently spotlighted critical issues affecting our world. Her journey began in conflict zones, where she observed firsthand how environmental degradation—from resource scarcity to climate change—intensifies human suffering and conflict.

Follow Ami on Instagram @amivitale

Photo by Ami Vitale/The Nature Conservancy