Giraffes Range Across Diverse African Habitats − We’re Using GPS, Satellites And Statistics To Track And Protect Them

An average giraffe has a home range almost as large as Philadelphia.

Griaffe walking while on a safari in the famous Kruger National Park in South Africa
(Credit:NelisNienaber/Shuttertstock)

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Nearly 6,000 years ago, our ancestors climbed arid rocky outcrops in what is now the Nigerian Sahara and carved spectacularly intricate, larger-than-life renditions of giraffes into the exposed sandstone. The remarkably detailed Dabous giraffe rock art petroglyphs are among many ancient petroglyphs featuring giraffes across Africa – a testament to early humans’ fascination with these unique creatures.

We are still captivated by giraffes today, but many of these animals are at risk, largely due to habitat loss and illegal hunting. Some are critically endangered.

To understand how giraffes are faring across Africa, conservation ecologists like me are studying how they interact with their habitats across vast geographic scales. We use space-age technology and advanced statistical approaches that our ancient ancestors could have scarcely imagined to understand how giraffes can better coexist with people.

(Credit: Michael Brown, CC BY-ND) Giraffes are featured prominently in ancient petroglyphs across Africa, such as this one in Twyfelfontein, Namibia, which dates back thousands of years.
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