(CNN) — The tallest animal in the world is in trouble.

Giraffe populations are declining at such an alarming rate — from habitat loss, poaching, urbanization and climate change-driven drought — that U.S. wildlife officials announced a proposal on Wednesday to help protect several of the species.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing many giraffe species as either threatened or endangered. It is the first time the long-necked mammals, native to Africa, would receive federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Declaring a species “endangered” is the most serious level of threat under the law, indicating that the species is in immediate danger of extinction. At the same time, a species is labeled as “threatened” when it is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.

“Federal protection for giraffes will help protect a vulnerable species, promote biodiversity, support ecosystem health, combat wildlife trafficking and promote sustainable economic practices,” US Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said in a statement . “This action supports giraffe conservation while ensuring that the United States does not further contribute to their decline.”

The three subspecies of northern giraffe officials are proposing to list as endangered include the West African, Kordofan and Nubian giraffes, whose populations have plummeted by roughly 77% since 1985, from 25,653 to 5,919 individuals.

And in East Africa, the agency is proposing to list two subspecies — the reticulated and Masai giraffes — as threatened.

The United States has become a significant market for giraffe parts and products, importing nearly 40,000 over at least a decade-long period, a 2018 report showed. American hunters travel to Africa to kill giraffes and bring back body parts – usually the head and neck – as trophies to be mounted on a plaque or walls.

Meanwhile, wide swaths of Africa have been dealing with more frequent droughts, which have put insurmountable pressure on giraffe populations. The harvests have failed, cattle and animals have died and tens of millions of people are in desperate need of food and water.

If finalized, the proposed rule would reduce the illegal hunting and trade of giraffes by requiring a permission to import their body parts into the United States and expand new funding for research and other giraffe conservation efforts.

Environmental groups have urged federal officials to declare protections for the species since 2017. The agency will collect public comments on the proposal until February 19, 2025, and expects to finalize it within a year.