Giraffes aren’t one story tall anymore, they’re four! Now it’s possible to protect them in more concentrated efforts.
South Africa (12 September 2025) – We love giraffes. They’re tall, gentle giants that we’re actually only just beginning to understand in more detail. For as long as we’ve known, giraffes have been considered a single species.
Now, science has flipped the script on that story, and it’s one worth celebrating.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has confirmed that giraffes are not actually one species, but four! The Northern giraffe, Reticulated giraffe, Masai giraffe, and Southern giraffe, which we, in South Africa, are more familiar with.
Identifying giraffes as four separate species instead of one shifts how we understand them. It matters, and it’s particularly good news, because conservation can now become sharper, smarter, and more effective.
Giraffe populations have fallen by nearly 30% in just three decades, but recognising them now as distinct species means scientists can create protection plans tailored to each one. It means we can focus on the real threats facing giraffes in different parts of Africa, and act before it’s too late.
Here in SA, every giraffe sighting is now just a little more special. The long-necked browsers dotting our bush are part of the Southern giraffe species we mentioned earlier, unique to our region.
“This isn’t just a scientific milestone – it’s a reminder of how much there still is to learn about Africa’s wildlife,” says Maralize Mulder, Marketing Manager at Extraordinary Resorts Management. “Science evolves, and so does conservation,” she adds.
The news arrives ahead of the IUCN World Conservation Congress next month where global leaders will meet to shape the future of species survival. With giraffes now standing as four distinct species and stories, each one deserves its own chapter of protection.
It’s quite amazing how conservation finds new reasons to hope!
by 