Not all giraffes belong to the same species, finds new study

Four different species of giraffes have been identified. REPRESENTATION PIC/ISTOCK

It has turned out that there are four different giraffe species in Africa, according to a new scientific analysis released on Thursday. Researchers previously considered all giraffes across Africa to belong to a single species.

New data and genetic studies have led a task force of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to split the tallest mammal on land into four groups: Northern giraffes, reticulated giraffes, Masai giraffes and Southern giraffes.

Naming different giraffes matters because "each species has different population sizes, threats and conservation needs," said the IUCN's Michael Brown, a researcher in Windhoek, Namibia, who led the assessment.

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