The Kordofan giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis antiquorum) is a subspecies of giraffe. Its English name is a reference to Kordofan in Sudan.
Compared to most other subspecies, Kordofan giraffes are relatively small, with more irregular spots on the inner legs. A median lump is present in males.
Kordofan giraffes are found in southern Chad, the Central African Republic, northern Cameroon, and the northeastern DR Congo. Their habitat includes savannas with shrubs and sparse trees, and open bushland.
Little is known about the behavior of Kordofan giraffes. Generally, giraffes are found in groups that vary in size and composition. These groups are usually sex-segregated although mixed-sex groups made of adult females and young males also occur. Young males also form groups and engage in playfights. However, as they get older, males become more solitary but may also associate in pairs or with female groups. Like all giraffes, they are not territorial, but they have home ranges that vary according to rainfall and proximity to human settlements. Males occasionally roam far from areas that they normally frequent. Male giraffes use their necks as weapons in combat, a behavior known as "necking". Necking is used to establish dominance and males that win necking bouts have greater reproductive success. Giraffes browse during the first and last hours of the daytime. Between these hours, giraffes mostly stand and ruminate. Rumination is the dominant activity during the night when it is mostly done lying down.
Giraffes are herbivores (folivores, lignivores, frugivores). They typically browse on leaves, fruits, twigs of trees, and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species.
Giraffes are polygynous, meaning that males mate with multiple females. Usually, males engage in combats, after which the winner gets right to mate with receptive females whenever and wherever it finds them. Normally, the gestation period lasts 13-15 months, yielding a single baby, rarely - twins. The female gives birth in a calving area, which she further uses throughout her life. A newborn calf can walk in just an hour after birth and can run within 24 hours after birth.
The primary causes of giraffe population declines are habitat loss and direct killing for bushmeat markets. These beautiful animals have been extirpated from much of their historic range, and now protected areas like national parks provide important habitat and anti-poaching protection to giraffe populations.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Kordofan giraffe is around 1,942 individuals, of which around 1,400 are probably mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Giraffes have a great effect on the trees that they feed on, delaying the growth of young trees for some years and giving "waistlines" to too tall trees. In addition, when spotting a predator, they can serve as a warning system for other nearby animals.
