South African giraffe

South African giraffe

SUBSPECIES OF

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa

The South African giraffe or Cape giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa ) is a subspecies of giraffe ranging from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique. It has rounded or blotched spots, some with star-like extensions on a light tan background, running down to the hooves.

Show More

In 2016, the population was estimated at 31,500 individuals in the wild.

Show Less

Distribution

Geography

The South African giraffe is found in northern South Africa, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, and south-western Mozambique. After local extinctions in various places, the South African giraffes have been reintroduced in many parts of Southern Africa, including in Eswatini. They are common in both in and outside of protected areas.South African giraffes usually live in savannahs and woodlands where food plants are available. Giraffes are herbivorous animals. They feed on leaves, flowers, fruits and shoots of woody plants such as Acacia.

Show More

South African giraffes live in a fission-fusion society system based on things such as sex, age, season, and kinship. This allows them to adapt better to environmental changes around them.

Show Less
South African giraffe habitat map
South African giraffe habitat map

Habits and Lifestyle

Diet and Nutrition

Population

Population threats

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the body that administers the world's official endangered species list, announced in 2016 that it was moving the giraffe from a species of Least Concern to Vulnerable status in its Red List of Threatened Species report. That means the animal faces extinction in the wild in the medium-term future if nothing is done to minimize the threats to its life or habitat.

References

1. South African giraffe Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_giraffe

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About