Giraffes collectively are listed asVulnerable on theIUCN Red List, as the global population is thought to consist of about 97,000 individuals as of 2016.[1]
A 2021whole genome sequencing study suggested the northern giraffe as a separate species, and postulates the existence of three distinct subspecies,[8] and more recently, one extinct subspecies.[9][10][11] This supports the 2025 IUCN reports.
There are three recognized subspecies of northern giraffe: the Kordofan giraffe, the Nubian giraffe, and the West African giraffe.
It has sharply defined chestnut-coloured spots surrounded by mostly white lines, while undersides lack spotting. Includes theRothschild's giraffe ecotype
Eastern South Sudan and southwestern Ethiopia, in addition to Kenya and Uganda.
Three-dimensional model of a northern giraffe skeleton
Often mistaken with the southern giraffe, the northern giraffe differs by the shape and size of the two distinctive horn-like protuberances known asossicones on its forehead; they are longer and larger than those of southern giraffe. Male northern giraffes have a third cylindrical ossicone in the center of the head just above the eyes, ranging from 76 to 127 mm (3 to 5 in) long.[2]
Northern giraffes live insavannahs,shrublands, andwoodlands. After numerous local extinctions, northern giraffes are the least numerous giraffe species, and the most endangered. In East Africa, Nubian giraffes are mostly found inKenya,Uganda and southwesternEthiopia, andSouth Sudan. in Uganda theUganda Wildlife Authority aided by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, have moved Nubian giraffes toKidepo National Park to reinforce and secure the population there, reintroduced Nubian giraffes toPian Upe Wildlife Reserve, moved them to the south side of the Nile inMurchison Falls National Park, and introduced them toLake Mburo National Park. InCentral Africa, there are almost 2,400 Kordofan giraffes in theCentral African Republic,Chad,Cameroon and a small but growing population inGaramba National Park in northeasternDemocratic Republic of the Congo. Once widespread inWest Africa, just one population of a few hundred West African giraffes was confined to theDosso Reserve ofKouré and surrounding area known as the Giraffe Zone inNiger, in 2018, eight giraffes were reintroduced to the Gadabedji Reserve in central Niger, by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and Sahara Conservation Fund, a further four were moved in 2022, a dangerous undertaking, given the dire security situation in the Kouré Region, this has created a second population of West African giraffes. They are isolated inSouth Sudan,Kenya,Chad andNiger. They commonly live both in and outside of protected areas.[1]
The earliest ranges of the Northern giraffes were in Chad during the latePliocene. Once abundant inNorth Africa, they lived inAlgeria from the earlyPleistocene during theQuaternary period. They lived inMorocco,Libya andEgypt until their extinction there around AD 600, as the drying climate of theSahara made conditions impossible for giraffes. Giraffe bones and fossils have been found across these countries.[5][6]
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