Top 9 spots you can find giraffes in Africa

Throughout many of Africa’s parks and conservation zones, giraffes tower over the vegetation. These exceptional herbivores are the tallest land mammals in the world. They are known for their numerous distinctive characteristics.

There are nine distinct subspecies of the giraffe. A tasselled tail, tall legs, and the world’s longest neck distinguish all giraffes, as do their two bony, horn-like ossicones on top of their heads.

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Their camouflage nature is an important survival feature in the jungle. It enables them to browse higher than other herbivores. Moreover, due to their unusual structure, they have the largest heart compared to any land mammal.

The big heart circulates blood throughout their bodies. Before answering the question on where can you find giraffes in Africa, let’s learn a few important things about them.

Giraffe Facts

Which African Country has the Most Giraffes?

Namibia and South Africa have the largest populations of giraffes. A study by researchers in Southern Africa cites around 70 percent of the giraffe’s population lies outside government-managed protected areas.

A variety of habitats in Namibia’s arid savannah, including open grassland, woodland, scrubland and fleeting rivers support a huge giraffe population.

Can Giraffes be Found in Africa?

Where can you find giraffes in Africa is a common question. The good news is that you will always spot these towering herbivores in most African parks.

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But for specificity, the following are places you will find giraffes in the continent.

Etosha National Park – Namibia

Etosha National Park is the finest area to spot these animals. Namibia and South Africa’s conservation initiatives virtually doubled Southern Africa’s giraffe population in the last 20 years.

Etosha being the largest park in Namibia accounts for a huge population of these animals.

Murchison Falls National Park – Uganda

Uganda is a guiding star in terms of wildlife sightings and it is one of the places where you can find giraffe in Africa. According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the number of Rothschild giraffes living in Uganda increased by a factor of eight in 20 years.

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The park as over 1,800 giraffes compared to just 250 two decades ago.

Skeleton Coast National Park – Namibia

It would appear that the Skeleton Coast National Park in Namibia is devoid of all forms of life. However, its shipwreck-strewn coastline and windswept sand dunes are home to a giraffes, elephants and hyenas alike.

Maasai Mara National Reserve – Kenya

Despite significant population declines, the Maasai giraffe is popular in high numbers at the Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya. Amboseli National Parks also in Kenya also has have sizeable populations of these animals.

Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti is home to large herds of Maasai giraffe which are the most common species in East Africa. You easily spot herds of 40 or more. However, they remain critically endangered.

Giraffe Manor – Kenya

At the Giraffe Manor in Kenya, the giraffes come to you rather than you going to see them. This cozy boutique hotel on the outskirts of Nairobi is well-known for its sociable neighbors, a herd of Rothschild giraffes.

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These giraffes take great pleasure in poking their long necks through the hotel’s windows to get personalized feeding. They delight in the opportunity to get up close and personal with people while soaking in the luxuries of a stunning manor house built in the 1930s.

Kruger National Park – South Africa

Where can you find giraffes in Africa? Kruger National Park is the real deal in South Africa. It is home to large herds of giraffe as well as the “Big Five” animals. According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation the number of giraffes in this park increased tremendously due to conservation efforts.

Kouré – Niger

It’s not a popular place to go on safari, but if you are daring enough to travel to Niger, you will have the opportunity to see something truly remarkable. This is because, in the rural community of Kouré residents are instrumental in driving a conservation initiative that has brought the West African giraffe back from the brink of extinction.

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The Giraffe Conservation Foundation reports there were just 49 individuals left in West Africa 20 years ago. But that number currently stands at over 549.

Akagera National Park – Rwanda

The giraffe population in Akagera is expanding. This is a positive sign for the national park, which was nearly wiped out during the1994 genocide in Rwanda and the ensuing refugee problems that followed.

However, the park now has a spectacular recovery plan and has herds of giraffes.