First dwarf giraffe

Two wild male giraffes (Giraffa sp.) displaying signs of skeletal dysplasia – which can result in forms of dwarfism that affect bone development and often result in a shorter stature – have been documented for the first time, as reported in BMC Research Notes on 30 December 2020. One giraffe, known as Gimli (after the famous Lord of the Rings character), was first observed in Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda in 2015 and as of 2017 had an estimated total height of 282.9 cm (9 ft 3 in). The second, known as Nigel, was photographed in 2018 at a private farm in Namibia, measuring approximately 254.4 cm (8 ft 4 in) from hoof to the top of the ossicones (horns). Dysplasia (unprecedented in this species to date) was evidenced by extremely short radius and metacarpal bones relative to giraffes of a similar age.

As it is very difficult to safely measure wild giraffes up close with conventional methods (without resorting to tranquillization), the scientists employed non-invasive digital photogrammetry (a technique first used to measure elephants), which involves photographing wild animals from a distance. The proximity is established using a laser rangefinder, then the size of certain body features (such as the neck) can be calculated based on the number of pixels that they occupy in the photographs.

Both giraffes highlighted in this study were considered “subadult” (1-6 years old) at the time of measuring (Gimli, at least 15 months; Nigel, up to four years old, which is approaching full maturity in males of this species), so the researchers allowed that Gimli and Nigel may not have finished growing. However, the primary indicator of dwarfism was not based on their total height but rather their morphological limb dimensions, making age irrelevant.

A typical male adult giraffe stands 4.6–5.5 m (15–18 ft) tall when fully grown. Even accounting for Gimli and Nigel’s young age, this puts them well under the average height for their sex and age group compared with contemporaneous giraffes in Murchison Falls National Park.

The two giraffes are from different subspecies indicating that dwarfism isn’t restricted to one type of giraffe or region: Gimli is a Nubian giraffe (a subspecies of the northern giraffe, G. camelopardalis camelopardalis) and Nigel is an Angolan giraffe (a subspecies of the southern giraffe, G. giraffa angolensis).

The research was conducted by scientists Dr Michael Butler Brown and Emma Wells of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Across Africa, giraffe have experienced significant population declines over the past 30 years, leading to a silent extinction crisis. Population monitoring efforts like those conducted by GCF and its partners in Namibia, Uganda and elsewhere are providing critical information to inform conservation efforts and ensure a future for wild giraffe throughout Africa.