WINDHOEK (Realist English). Giraffes, long seen as one of Africa’s most iconic animals, are now officially recognised as four separate species rather than one, according to a new scientific analysis released Thursday by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The reassessment divides the world’s tallest mammal into Northern giraffes, reticulated giraffes, Masai giraffes and Southern giraffes. The decision follows more than a decade of genetic and anatomical studies showing significant differences between the groups.
“This is absolutely the right decision, and it’s long overdue,” said Stuart Pimm, a Duke University ecologist not involved in the research. Michael Brown, an IUCN researcher in Namibia who led the study, explained that classifying giraffes separately is crucial: “Each species has different population sizes, threats and conservation needs. When you lump giraffes all together, it muddies the narrative.”
The challenges vary sharply. Northern giraffes, found in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, are under pressure from poaching and political instability — with only about 7,000 individuals left. Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania are losing habitat as savanna is converted into farmland and cattle pastures. Reticulated giraffes number around 21,000, while Southern giraffes remain the most common, with about 69,000 in the wild, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
“It’s one of the most threatened large mammals in the world,” said Stephanie Fennessy of the foundation, referring to the Northern giraffe.
The research builds on more than 20 years of fieldwork, including the collection of over 2,000 genetic samples across Africa. Advances in genome sequencing — once costing tens of thousands of dollars but now as little as $100 — have made such large-scale studies possible for conservation groups. Scientists also examined key anatomical traits, such as skull shape and the giraffe’s distinctive bony protrusions, often mistaken for horns.
For conservationists, the findings mark a turning point. “If not all giraffes are the same, then we have to protect them individually,” Fennessy said.
