Giraffes have four distinct species after years of being considered a single species

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), African giraffes are divided into four species: northern giraffe, reticulated giraffe, Masai giraffe, and southern giraffe.

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

The announcement was made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) earlier this week based on genetic analysis and the latest morphological evidence.

African giraffes are divided into four species: the northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), the reticulated giraffe, the Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi) and the southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa).

For decades, researchers 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 individuals remaining 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 cattle grazing land.

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

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

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

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/huou-cao-co-co-toi-4-loai-rieng-biet-sau-nhieu-nam-duoc-coi-la-duy-nhat-post1057105.vnp