Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) are one of the most loved and iconic megafauna in Africa, but their conservation status is currently of great concern, with a 2015 IUCN assessment listing the species as vulnerable to extinction. Furthermore, a recent study suggested that the one currently recognised giraffe species should be separated into 4 distinct species, meaning that giraffe populations may be at even greater risk than previously thought.
The African Lion and Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) began giraffe research in the Zambezi National Park (ZNP) in February 2017 to begin assessing the state of the giraffe population in the park, with the aim of contributing to a global database produced by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), a Namibian non-governmental organisation focused on the conservation and management of giraffe throughout Africa. As well as compiling a continentwide giraffe photo-identification database, GCF’s goal is to further understand the social structure, population dynamics and inter-species interactions of this relatively understudied animal. Little is known about giraffe social behaviour and whilst giraffe social groupings are traditionally seen as fluid, there is recent evidence to suggest that groups are actually formed based on social preferences and associations. Understanding the social dynamics of these animals has strong implications for conservation management.