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Southern Giraffe
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)
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
219 Verified sightings at Pilanesberg National Park From 2019 to 2026
3,762 In all 15 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
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 →
Recent sightings of Southern Giraffe in Pilanesberg National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 4 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 5 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 7 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 9 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 11 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 12 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 13 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 14 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 15 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harare | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Pilanesberg National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Southern Giraffe in Pilanesberg National Park?
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Giraffe sighting in Pilanesberg National Park on a given day, based on 219 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 31 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Southern Giraffe in Pilanesberg National Park?
April
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Giraffe in Pilanesberg National Park on a given day, against about 50% in December, the lowest month.
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.
Is Pilanesberg National Park the best place to see a Southern Giraffe?
5th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Southern Giraffe sightings, Pilanesberg National Park ranks 5th at about 60%. The best odds are in Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 80%), uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 70%) and Moremi Game Reserve (Botswana, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Southern Giraffe live in Pilanesberg National Park?
Same order: Artiodactyla
The closest relatives of the Southern Giraffe that you can see in Pilanesberg National Park (order Artiodactyla, Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans) are Impala (about 60%), Common Hippopotamus (about 60%) and Blue Wildebeest (about 60%), 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 Pilanesberg National Park (219 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.
