These Rare Giraffes Were Killed Just for Their Tails (Exclusive Video)

The killing of three rare Kordofan giraffes inspired a filmmaker to transform his anger into action. David Hamlin was on assignment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo when he saw a female and two male giraffes peacefully making their way through the tall grass. The next morning he learned that the three animals were found shot and mutilated. Shocked by the news and compelled to uncover the truth, Hamlin decided to visit the site of the killings to document this horrific act. Accompanied by armed rangers from the nonprofit conservation organization African Parks and the Congolese Parks Authority ICCN, he ventured through the volatile grounds of Garamba National Park. There he learned that the giraffes were killed for something worth thousands of U.S. dollars: their tails.

National Geographic