There are four species of giraffes, not just one.

The giraffe - the tallest land animal and iconic symbol of Africa - has been reclassified by scientists into four separate species, after years of being considered a single species.

There are 4 species of African giraffes, not just 1 - Photo: AFP

The announcement was made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) earlier this week based on the latest genetic analysis and morphological evidence. Accordingly, the African giraffe is divided into four species: Northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), reticulated giraffe (Giraffa), Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi) and Southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa).

For decades, researchers have relied solely on skin patterns to classify the groups, but new studies using genetic data from more than 2,000 samples collected over the past 20 years, along with analyses of skull structure, have confirmed clear differences between the groups.

Identifying the four giraffe species is crucial for conservation, as each has different populations, threats and protection needs, and lumping them together would distort the true picture, according to an IUCN expert in Namibia.

The Giraffe Conservation Fund (GCF) says the northern giraffe is now the most endangered species, with only about 7,000 left in the wild, scattered across the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. These giraffes are facing poaching and lack of proper care.

Meanwhile, the Masai giraffe has 44,000 individuals, living mainly in Kenya and Tanzania. This group is under pressure from habitat loss due to expansion of grazing land.

The reticulated giraffe group numbers about 21,000, while the southern species is the most numerous, with about 69,000.

GCF believes that because giraffes are not a single species, separate conservation measures are needed for each species.

International experts consider this reclassification as the right step, paving the way for more effective conservation strategies to protect one of Africa's iconic animals from the risk of decline.

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VNA

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-toi-4-loai-huou-cao-co-chu-khong-phai-1-20250822134854186.htm