Southern Giraffe
Giraffa giraffa
Silhouette: Hans Hillewaert (photo) and T. Michael Keesey (tracing) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans)
- FamilyGiraffidae (Giraffes and Okapi)
- GenusGiraffa (Giraffes)
- SpeciesGiraffa giraffa (Southern Giraffe)
About the Southern Giraffe
The southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa), also known as two-horned giraffe, is a species of giraffe native to Southern Africa. The IUCN recognises four giraffe species, with several recognised subspecies. Southern giraffes have rounded or blotched spots, some with star-like extensions on a light tan background, running down to the hooves. They range from South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique. Their approximate population is composed of 44,500 to 50,000 individuals.
Giraffes are considered Vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN. Living giraffes were originally classified as one species by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, under the binomial name Cervus camelopardalis. Morten Thrane Brünnich classified the genus Giraffa in 1772. Once considered a subspecies of the conglomerate Giraffa camelopardalis species, recent studies proposed the southern giraffe as a separate species of a reorganised genus Giraffa, under the binomial name Giraffa giraffa.
The South African subspecies of the southern giraffe has dark, somewhat rounded patches "with some fine projections" on a tawny background colour. The spots extend... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Southern Giraffe in Pilanesberg National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Pilanesberg National Park
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Common Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
Blue Wildebeest
Connochaetes taurinus
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Common Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
Steenbok
Raphicerus campestris
Khama
Alcelaphus caama
Tsessebe
Damaliscus lunatus
Klipspringer
Oreotragus oreotragus
Springbok
Antidorcas marsupialis
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 4 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 6 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 8 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 12 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 13 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 14 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 15 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Southern Giraffe in Pilanesberg National Park?
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Giraffe sighting in Pilanesberg National Park, based on 217 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Southern Giraffe in Pilanesberg National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Southern Giraffe in Pilanesberg National Park in our monthly data.