East African Giraffe

East African Giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

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

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
at Mikumi National Park

In 3 days >90%

75 Verified sightings at Mikumi National Park From 2019 to 2026
3,299 In all 16 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the East African Giraffe

The Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi), also spelled Maasai giraffe, and sometimes called the Kilimanjaro giraffe, is a species of giraffe. It is native to East Africa. The Masai giraffe can be found in central and southern Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Luangwa Valley region of Zambia. It has distinctive jagged, irregular leaf-like blotches that extend from the hooves to its head. The Masai giraffe is currently the national animal of Tanzania.

Genetic research on giraffes in 2016 determined that there are likely four separate species of giraffe rather than just one. The IUCN's Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group has now accepted that there are four species of giraffes: the Masai giraffe, the reticulated giraffe, the northern giraffe, and the southern giraffe.[3] The Masai giraffe has therefore been elevated to a full species, the research also established that the Thornicroft's giraffe also known as the Luangwa giraffe, found in the Luangwa Valley region of Zambia, is a subspecies of the Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi thornicrofti).

The Masai giraffe was described and given the binomial name Giraffa tippelskirchi by German zoologist Paul Matschie in 1898,... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~80%
2 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~80%
3 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~80%
4 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~80%
5 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~80%
6 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~80%
7 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~70%
8 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~70%
9 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~70%
10 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~70%
11 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~70%
12 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~60%
13 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~50%
14 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
15 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
16 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Disney's Animal Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Busch Gardens Tampa 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
3 SeaWorld San Diego 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
4 San Diego Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
5 Cleveland Metroparks Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
6 Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
7 The Wilds 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
8 Garden Route Safari Camp 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity
9 Zoo Miami 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
10 San Diego Zoo Safari Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
11 Lion Country Safari 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
12 Toronto Zoo 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
13 Safari West 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
14 Haller Park 🇰🇪 Kenya In captivity
15 Columbus Zoo and Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
16 Nashville Zoo at Grassmere 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
17 江苏淹城野生动物世界 🇨🇳 China In captivity
18 Los Angeles Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
19 Oakland Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
20 Phoenix Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
21 Toledo Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
22 Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
23 Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
24 Leofoo Village Theme Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan In captivity
25 Africam Safari 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
26 Louisville Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
27 Southwick's Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
28 Calgary Zoo 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
29 Brevard Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
30 Franklin Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
31 ZooTampa 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
32 Gatorland 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
33 Oregon Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
34 Virginia Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
35 Houston Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
36 Cameron Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
37 Fresno Chaffee Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
38 Cebu Safari and Adventure Park 🇵🇭 Philippines In captivity
39 Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
40 Terra Natura Murcia 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
41 Roger Williams Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
42 Giraffe Centre 🇰🇪 Kenya In captivity
43 Turtle Back Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
44 Miyazaki City Phoenix Zoo 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity
45 Nairobi Safari Walk 🇰🇪 Kenya In captivity
46 Lehigh Valley Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
47 Manatí Park - Cerrado 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic In captivity
48 Potawatomi Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
49 Racine Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
50 Santa Barbara Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an East African Giraffe in Mikumi National Park?

Very likely

About 80% of wildlife watchers report an East African Giraffe sighting in Mikumi National Park on a given day, based on 75 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 15 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an East African Giraffe in Mikumi National Park?

August

In that month about 90% of wildlife watchers report an East African Giraffe in Mikumi National Park on a given day, against about 40% in May, the lowest month. That is one of Mikumi National Park's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 200 mm in April.

What time of day is best to see an East African Giraffe?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most East African Giraffe sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Which relatives of the East African Giraffe live in Mikumi National Park?

Same order: Artiodactyla

The closest relatives of the East African Giraffe that you can see in Mikumi National Park (order Artiodactyla, Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans) are Impala (about 70%), Common Warthog (about 60%) and Blue Wildebeest (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the East African Giraffe sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the East African Giraffe is recorded against all the mammals logged in Mikumi National Park (75 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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