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TOPICS:ConservationEcologyEndangeredPenn State University

By PENN STATE UNIVERSITY JUNE 12, 2023

Tall Order: The Fight to Save the Masai Giraffes From Extinction

Penn State researchers discovered Masai giraffe populations divided by East Africa’s Great Rift Valley haven’t interbred for centuries. This, along with significant inbreeding and a 50% decline over 30 years, suggests they are more endangered than previously thought. Distinct but coordinated conservation efforts for each population are recommended.

Giraffe populations separated by Great Rift Valley in eastern Africa are genetically distinct, suggesting that conservation efforts should be considered separately for each population.

Giraffes in eastern Africa may be even more endangered than previously thought. A new study led by researchers at Penn State reveals that populations of Masai giraffes separated geographically by the Great Rift Valley have not interbred — or exchanged genetic material — in more than a thousand years, and in some cases hundreds…