Say hello to four new giraffe species!

Reticulated giraffe in Meru (c) Born Free

You’ll be fascinated to hear that a major reclassification has led to scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) formally recognising the world’s tallest animal as four separate species.  

The IUCN is the world’s leading authority on the status of the natural world, including the ‘classification of species’ – how animals and plants are divided into groups. Giraffes were previously classified as a single species, with nine subspecies. So this news will shape how giraffes are studied and understood, and has important implications for conservation too.

“The recognition of new giraffe species is such exciting news,” explains Born Free’s Head of Conservation Dr Nikki Tagg. “But, for our team, identifying reticulated giraffes as their own species is particularly important.

“Reticulated giraffes are primarily found in Kenya, with limited populations in southern Ethiopia and south-western Somalia. They’re considered ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN Red list – which lists species under threat, with populations declining. Around 16,000 reticulated giraffes live in Kenya, with over 1,400 found in Meru National Park and surrounding areas – a significant and important population.

“With the invaluable help of Born Free supporters, our Saving Meru’s Giant programme is dedicated to protecting these long-legged mammals. To date, our monitoring team has identified over 500 individuals through their unique coat patterns, and counting! This helps us build our important giraffe database, and better understand the population, and how they behave.

“By doing this, we can enhance and inform our conservation initiatives, and monitor population dynamics – how this group of giraffes changes over time. Alongside this, our locally-employed Twiga Team patrols Meru National Park, to prevent long-legged reticulated giraffes falling victim to deadly snares – set illegally to trap wildlife.”

How did the new reclassification happen?

The IUCN is made up of a diverse network of experts and organisations. Within the IUCN are specialist groups, called task forces, that focus on a group of species.

A task force is comprised of species experts who report on the latest species information from across their range. Using the best available information, they address issues such as species ‘taxonomy’ (how they are classified), as well as population status (how under threat they are) and conservation recommendations (how best to protect them).

In this major breakthrough for conservation, the IUCN Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group has officially recognised four giraffe species. Previously, only one species of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) was recognised, with nine giraffe sub-species. New analysis, both ‘morphological’ (looking at physical characteristics) and ‘genetic’ (looking at DNA and genes) has paved the way for four species to be declared.

How giraffes are now classified: 

As you can see, each species, except reticulated giraffes, includes two or more subspecies. A subspecies is defined by the IUCN as ‘An evolutionary sub-lineage within a species, with geographically or ecologically distinct populations. These share morphological and genetic characteristics, which differentiates them from other populations of the same species.’

Previously, Rothschild’s giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) was included as the ninth subspecies. But the new classification recommends there is not yet enough evidence for it to be a separate subspecies, so it’s been included in the Nubian giraffe subspecies.

Reticulated giraffe in Meru (c) Born Free

But how does this help giraffe conservation?

These newly recognised species groupings will help guide the IUCN Red List Assessments, allowing more detailed assessments to be done on each species, and working out what needs to be done to help protect them. It will also help influence national and international conservation policies, and help conservationists better understand the threats faced by each species. Thank you IUCN!

With your support, Born Free will continue to do everything we can to protect giraffes in the wild, helping safeguard their future. You can help by adopting our Meru Giraffe Family.