Northern (Nubian) Giraffe

Classification of giraffes is quite complicated. Traditionally giraffes were considered to be one species with nine subspecies as follows: (1) Kordofan; (2) Nubian; (3) Rothschild's; (4) West African; (5) reticulated; (6) Angolan; (7) South African; (8) Masai; and (9) Thornicroft's. 

In 2021 a whole genome sequencing study suggested that there were four species of giraffe with seven subspecies, which was then supported by a 2024 study of cranial morphology. As of August 2025 the IUCN Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group recognizes the four species. The four species (with their related subspecies) are as follows below. Of the nine original subspecies, two become species (Reticulated and Masai), the Rothschild's ssp was subsumed (absorbed) into the Nubian ssp and the rest continued as subspecies of different species. 

          (1) Northern giraffe with three subspecies: (a) Kordofan; (b) Nubian; and (c) West African. My post on the Rothschild's Giraffe featured giraffes in Nakura NP in Kenya and is now considered the Nubian giraffe (post on August 13, 2014). 

          (2) Reticulated giraffe with no subspecies. My post on the Reticulated Giraffe featured giraffes in Buffalo Springs NR in Kenya (post on August 11, 2014). 

          (3) Masai giraffe with two subspecies: (a) Masai; and (b) Thornicoft's. My post on the Masai Giraffe continues to be the Masai ssp and  featured giraffes in Serengeti NP and just outside Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania and Masai Mara NR and Nairobi NP in Kenya (post on August 12, 2014).  

          (4) Southern giraffe with two subspecies: (a) Angolan; and (b) South African. My prior post on the Angolan giraffe featured giraffes in Hwange NP and Zambezi NP in Zimbabwe and continues to be the Angolan ssp but of the Southern Giraffe (post on July 11, 2018). My prior post on the Namibian Giraffe featured giraffes in Etosha NP in Namibia and is the Angolan ssp (post on July 10, 2018). 

In July 2025 we visited Uganda and saw the Nubian giraffe in Murchison Falls NP and Kidepo Valley NP. Photos of these giraffes follow:

This and the next six photos were taken in Murchison Falls NP.

This and the next three photos were taken in Kidepo Valley NP. This and the next two were taken while we were on a walking safari and we got quite close.