Despite generally being called the Angolan (or sometimes smoky) giraffe, this subspecies is thought to be extinct in most areas in Angola although now re-populating naturally from Namibia. Its range is believed to include Namibia, south-western Zambia, central Botswana, and potentially western Zimbabwe. G. c. angolensis has increased from an historic estimate of 5,000 individuals to the 2015 estimate of 13,031 individuals (+161%, Marais et al. 2016). The Angolan giraffe is relatively light in colour and has large, uneven and notched spots that cover the whole leg. International Species Information System (ISIS) records indicate that only about 20 individuals are kept in zoos worldwide.
The Kordofan giraffe’s range includes some of Africa’s more hostile areas: southern Chad, Central African Republic, northern Cameroon, northern Democratic Republic of Congo and western South Sudan. The populations of G. c. antiquorum has decreased from an historic estimate of 3,696 individuals to an estimate of 2,000 individuals in 2015 (-46%, Fennessy and Marais 2016). The Kordofan giraffe’s spots are pale and irregular and cover the upper leg. ISIS records show that approximately 65 Kordofan giraffe are in zoos worldwide.
The Nubian giraffe ranges across western Ethiopia and eastern South Sudan, but reports about this precariously small and fragmented population are extremely difficult to interpret. Large herds have been reported in South Sudan, but it has been impossible to determine whether they were G. c. camelopardalis, the relatively numerous G. c. antiquorum, the dwindling G. c. reticulata or even G. c. rothschildi. The best figures available indicate that G. c. camelopardalis has declined from an historic estimate of 20,577 individuals in 1979/1981 to a 2015 estimate of 650 individuals (-97%, Wube et al.2016). Genetic research is ongoing to establish the identity of the remaining wild populations, as well as to get a better understanding of the subspecies’ numbers and distribution. The distinctive coat of the Nubian giraffe has large, normally four-sided, chestnut-brown blotches on a slightly off-white background. It has no markings below the hocks. The Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates has 11 giraffe that were thought to be Nubian giraffe but re-classified to Rothschild’s giraffe.
The South African giraffe ranges from east to west across South Africa, southern and northern Botswana, eastern Namibia and southern (and potentially western) Zimbabwe. Previous reintroductions of this subspecies and the Angolan giraffe into northern South Africa, southern Botswana and southern Zimbabwe are likely to have resulted in hybrid populations in those areas. There have also been extralimital introductions of the South African giraffe into Angola, Senegal, throughout South Africa and Zambia. G. c. giraffa has increased from an historic estimate of 8,000 individuals to the 2015 estimate of over 21,387 individuals (+167%, Deacon et al. 2016). The South African giraffe’s pattern extends all the way down the legs and is made up of star-shaped blotches on a background that is more tan-coloured than cream or white. According to ISIS, only about 45 South African giraffe occur in zoos around the world.
At the beginning of the 20th century the West African (or Nigerian) giraffe was widely distributed from Nigeria to Senegal, but by the late 1990s only about 50 individuals remained in the whole of West Africa. These few survivors are now formally protected by the Government of Niger, and exist exclusively in an isolated population east of the capital, Niamey. No other large wild mammals still occur in this region. G. c. peralta has increased from an historic estimate of at least 50 individuals to the 2015 estimate of 400 individuals (+700%, Fennessy et al. 2016). According to ISIS, none are kept in captivity. The West African giraffe is noticeably light in appearance with rectangular tan blotches separated by thick, cream-coloured lines.
The reticulated giraffe (sometimes called the netted or Somali giraffe) is predominantly found in north-eastern Kenya, with small populations also occurring in southern Somalia and possibly southern Ethiopia. Giraffa c. reticulata has declined from an historic estimate of 36,000-47,750 individuals to the 2015 estimate of 8,661 individuals (Doherty et al. 2016). The reticulated giraffe has brown-orange patches clearly defined by a network of thick and striking white lines. According to ISIS, the reticulated giraffe is one of the more common subspecies in captivity, with about 450 kept in zoos around the world.
Rothschild’s giraffe (also known as Uganda or Baringo giraffe), ranges through Uganda and west-central Kenya into South Sudan. The majority of Rothschild’s giraffe in Kenya are outside their natural range (extralimital introductions), in contrast to those in Uganda and South Sudan which are natal. Giraffa c. rothschildi has increased from an historic estimate of 1,331 individuals in the 1960s to the 2015 estimate of 1,671 individuals (26%, Fennessy et al.2016). Rothschild’s giraffe have large, dark, rectangular blotches set irregularly against a cream background. The lower legs are noticeably white and not patterned. ISIS reports that more than 450 Rothschild’s giraffe are in captivity.
Thornicroft’s giraffe (also known as Rhodesian giraffe) survives as an entirely isolated population in a small area of north-eastern Zambia. Occurring only in the South Luangwa Valley, it is geographically separated from any other giraffe population by at least 400km in any direction. The population of Giraffa c. thornicrofti has stabilized at close to 600 individuals since 1973 (Berry and Bercovitch 2016), following an increase from approximately 300 giraffes in the early 1970s (Bercovitch et al. 2015). Thornicroft’s giraffe have a pattern of large, dark, ragged leaf-shaped blotches on a cream background that continues down the length of its legs. According to ISIS, none are kept in captivity.
The Masai (also known as Kilimanjaro giraffe) ranges across central and southern Kenya and south through Tanzania, and extralimital populations have been translocated into Rwanda. Giraffa c. tippelskirchi has declined from an historic estimate of 63,292 individuals to the current estimate of 35,000 individuals (-50%, Bolger et al. 2016). The Masai giraffe is often noticeably darker than other subspecies. Its blotches are large, dark brown and distinctively vine-leaf shaped with jagged edges, and are separated by irregular, creamy brown lines. ISIS records indicate roughly 100 individuals in zoos.
