IUCN confirms: Not one, but four giraffe species

A major boost for giraffe conservation on the African continent: a panel of experts has confirmed that there are four giraffe species. Until now, the official classification assumed one species and nine subspecies.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced that new scientific findings had cast doubt on the 'one species' classification. As a result, the Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group (GOSG) of the IUCN Species Survival Commission established a Taxonomic Task Force last year.

The task force primarily examined the latest genetic data from several peer-reviewed studies. These studies revealed significant differences between several giraffe lineages. In addition, morphological data such as skull structure and bone shape of giraffes from different regions were also taken into account.

Bio-geographical assessments were also taken into account. Examples are natural barriers such as large rivers, rift valleys and arid zones that may have contributed to evolutionary isolation.

With its findings, the GOSG Task Force ultimately refuted the already controversial classification of giraffes as one species with nine subspecies. Instead, its report now officially distinguishes between four giraffe species and seven subspecies.

New classification of the giraffe

1. Northern giraffe (G. camelopardalis) in North and Central Africa, with the three subspecies Nubian (G. c. camelopardalis), Kordofan (G. c. antiquorum) and West African giraffe (G. c. peralta).

2. Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi) in Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya, with the subspecies Luangwa (G. t. thornicrofti) and Masai giraffe (G. t. tippelskirchi).

3. Reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata) in north-east Kenya.

4. Southern giraffe (G. giraffa) in southern Africa, with the two subspecies Angola giraffe (G. g. angolensis) and South Africa giraffe (G. g. giraffa).

The Angola giraffe is occurring almost exclusively in Namibia. Its population is estimated at 15,660 individuals. According to the IUCN, the Angola giraffe and the South African giraffe (53,170 individuals) are considered non-endangered subspecies.

Boost for giraffe conservation

"This groundbreaking taxonomic revision [...] provides a standardised framework for species conservation," explained GOSG co-chair Michael Brown. He is co-author of the reassessment.

"Recognising these four species is vital not only for accurate IUCN Red List assessments," Brown added. "The more precisely we understand giraffe taxonomy, the better equipped we are to [...] implement effective conservation strategies."

As coordinator for conservation sciences, Brown is also involved in the work of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF). In 2021, the GCF had already confirmed the existance of four species in a genetic study. The results indicated that these species had not exchanged genes with each other for hundreds of thousands of years.

Sven-Eric Stender