When One Animal Becomes Four 

Giraffes are actually very diverse creatures. 

The world’s tallest mammal isn’t one species at all – it’s four, according to a new study led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

For decades, scientists have speculated that the long-necked animal, native to Africa, was more than one species. 

This theory was proved correct after years of meticulous work comparing genetics, skull shapes, and natural barriers that likely separated giraffe populations. 

The current designation splits giraffes into four species: Northern, Masai, Reticulated, and Southern – each of them with its own range and unique challenges.  

The Northern giraffe is found across parts of South Sudan, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Researchers believe that the rivers Kunene and Zambezi and rainforests in the Congo Basin probably separated these animals from mixing with other giraffes, according to the BBC. 

In the continent’s south, the Southern species mainly roam around South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and southwestern Mozambique. 

Meanwhile, Reticulated giraffes stroll the open savannas and grasslands of Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Scientists noted, however, that this species is a migrating animal and could have mingled with other giraffes and cross-bred. 

Finally, there are the Masai giraffes that hang around Western Ethiopia, central and western Kenya, eastern South Sudan, and Uganda. Another migrating animal, these creatures are recognized for their distinctive leaf-patterned hide. 

Stuart Pimm, a Duke University ecologist who wasn’t involved in the study, told the Associated Press that the categorization was “long overdue.” IUCN representatives added that recognizing them as four species allows more precise conservation assessments and strategies. 

For example, Northern giraffes are the most vulnerable ones to extinction, with only about 7,000 left in the wild. Masai giraffes – numbering 44,000 – are under pressure as open grasslands are being increasingly carved into cattle pastures.  

“The more precisely we understand giraffe taxonomy, the better equipped we are to assess their status and implement effective conservation strategies,” Michael Brown of the IUCN, who co-authored the report, said in a statement.