Silhouette: Hans Hillewaert (photo) and T. Michael Keesey (tracing) · PhyloPic

Southern Giraffe

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Southern Giraffe in Harare?

Possible. About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Giraffe sighting in Harare on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Southern Giraffe in Harare?

October. In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Giraffe in Harare on a given day, against under 5% in February, May, August and November, the lowest months. That is one of Harare's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain against 200 mm in December.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Southern Giraffe?

Between 8 and 11 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Giraffe sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Where else can you see a Southern Giraffe?

Only Harare, in our data. Harare is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Southern Giraffe sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.

Q: Which relatives of the Southern Giraffe live in Harare?

Same order: Artiodactyla. The closest relatives of the Southern Giraffe that you can see in Harare (order Artiodactyla, Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans) are Common Eland (about 20%) and Impala (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Southern Giraffe sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Southern Giraffe is recorded against all the mammals logged in Harare (12 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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)

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

at Harare

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

12 Verified sightings at Harare

3,762 In all 15 parks From 2019 to 2026

October Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

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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 →

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Known range (Mammal Diversity Database, Marsh et al. 2022)Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 57 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~80%
2	uMkhuze Game Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~70%
3	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~70%
4	Waterberg Plateau Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~60%
5	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
6	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~60%
7	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
8	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~60%
9	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
10	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~40%
11	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
12	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
13	West Coast National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
14	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~20%
15	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Harare	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~20%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Leipzig Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
2	Copenhagen Zoo	🇩🇰 Denmark	In captivity
3	Olomouc Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
4	Beijing Wildlife Park	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
5	Al Ain Zoo	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	In captivity
6	Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden	🇮🇳 India	In captivity
7	Nehru Zoological Park	🇮🇳 India	In captivity
8	Serengeti Park	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
9	Khao Kheow Open Zoo	🇹🇭 Thailand	In captivity
10	Seaview Game & Lion Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
11	Chiang Mai Zoo	🇹🇭 Thailand	In captivity
12	Planète Sauvage	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
13	West Midland Safari Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
14	West Midlands Safari Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
15	Curitiba Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
16	Seoul Zoo	🇰🇷 South Korea	In captivity
17	Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
18	Safari World	🇹🇭 Thailand	In captivity
19	Johannesburg Zoo	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
20	National Zoological Garden of South Africa	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
21	São Paulo Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
22	Selwo Aventura	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
23	Parco Natura Viva	🇮🇹 Italy	In captivity
24	Africam Safari	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
25	Chongqing Zoo	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
26	Guadalajara Zoo	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
27	Nanning Zoo	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
28	Taigan Safari Park	🇷🇺 Russia	In captivity
29	Friguia Park	🇹🇳 Tunisia	In captivity
30	Night Safari	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
31	Târgu Mureș Zoo	🇷🇴 Romania	In captivity
32	National Zoo of Malaysia	🇲🇾 Malaysia	In captivity
33	Zoologischer Garten Leipzig	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
34	Lisbon Zoo	🇵🇹 Portugal	In captivity
35	Memphis Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
36	Wildlands	🇳🇱 Netherlands	In captivity
37	Kunming Zoo	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
38	Singapore Zoo	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
39	Explorer Village	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	In captivity
40	Phnom Penh Safari World	🇰🇭 Cambodia	In captivity
41	Zoo Aquarium de Madrid	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
42	Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens	🇻🇳 Vietnam	In captivity
43	Chapultepec Zoo	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
44	Ecopark	🇦🇷 Argentina	In captivity
45	Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden	🇭🇺 Hungary	In captivity
46	Elmvale Jungle Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
47	Valencia Bioparc	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
48	Avilon Zoo	🇵🇭 Philippines	In captivity
49	Reserva Zoológica Oasys MiniHollywood	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
50	Giraffe House	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Harare

Taurotragus oryx

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Aepyceros melampus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Cricetomys ansorgei

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Southern Giraffe in Harare?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Giraffe sighting in Harare on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Southern Giraffe in Harare?

October

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Giraffe in Harare on a given day, against under 5% in February, May, August and November, the lowest months. That is one of Harare's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain against 200 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Southern Giraffe?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Giraffe sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Where else can you see a Southern Giraffe?

Only Harare, in our data

Harare is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Southern Giraffe sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.

Which relatives of the Southern Giraffe live in Harare?

Same order: Artiodactyla

The closest relatives of the Southern Giraffe that you can see in Harare (order Artiodactyla, Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans) are Common Eland (about 20%) and Impala (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Southern Giraffe sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Southern Giraffe is recorded against all the mammals logged in Harare (12 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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