Virtually every animal has its day, yet until 2014 that was not true of giraffes. Fortunately, our partners the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) took a stand and launched World Giraffe Day as a way of raising awareness around the plight of these fabulously elegant creatures. World Giraffe Day is recognised annually on June 21st– the longest day or night of the year, depending on which hemisphere you’re in – a fitting tribute to the world’s tallest terrestrial mammal.
“World Giraffe Day has become the biggest day of the year to celebrate all four species of giraffe, increasing awareness and education, and helping to raise critical funds for our conservation efforts across Africa,” GCF Co-Founder and Director of Conservation, Dr Julian Fennessy tells us.
We teamed up with GCF some years ago because we recognised the incredible work they’re doing to protect giraffe.
The giraffe is hard to miss, so it might come as a surprise to hear that they need additional recognition, yet GCF estimate that their populations have declined significantly over recent decades and that they’ve lost nearly 90% of the African habitat in the last 300 years. Despite this, GCF is the only NGO in the world that concentrates solely on the conservation and management of giraffe in the wild throughout Africa.
“There was a lack of scientific and conservation awareness about the plight of giraffe when we first started studying them,” recalls Julian “It was our team at GCF that sounded the alarm for their silent extinction and realised that giraffe needed our urgent help. Our mission is to secure a future for all giraffe populations in Africa, and we can now see that we are making a difference for giraffe.”
It is believed that historically around one million giraffe roamed freely throughout Africa, but in the late 1800s a highly contagious viral disease known as rinderpest arrived with infected cattle from Europe and decimated the giraffe population. According to GCF, the first reliable giraffe numbers come from the 1980s when there were roughly 155,000 giraffe in Africa. Over the years, limited information has been available but in 2020, GCF estimated Africa’s giraffe population at 117,000 individuals in Africa – a 30% decrease. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of GCF and its partners, things are changing for the better. Increased awareness, improved data collection, and targeted conservation work have led to many success stories. However, progress isn’t uniform — conservation outcomes still vary across the different giraffe species.
The subject of different giraffe species is a pertinent one, particularly when it comes to their conservation. One of GCF’s biggest contributions has been leading collaborative genetic research that revealed giraffe aren’t just one species, but four distinct species with seven subspecies. That discovery has been a game-changer for giraffe conservation, reshaping how conservationists understand and protect these remarkable animals. The IUCN currently classes the single species of giraffe as Vulnerable, however, with GCF’s State of Giraffe 2025 new information is available and likely three of the four species of giraffe should be listed as Endangered or Vulnerable.
As part of GCF’s continent-wide genetic study, the Natural Selection Foundation funds Giraffe Genetic Testing Project in Botswana and Natural Selection’s Katie Ahl and Emma Wells (who you’ll read about in a couple of paragraphs), are instrumental in driving it.
“The Natural Selection Foundation funds the second phase of our Botswana giraffe sampling and analysis,” shares Julian. “We will be finished with sample collection soon and all giraffe skin samples will be sent to our partners in Germany for analysis. Katie and Emma have been at the core of coordinating sampling – the Natural Selection and GCF partnership is a good example of collaboration in conservation and tourism. The IUCN SSC Giraffe & Okapi Specialist Group are currently reviewing the giraffe taxonomy based on our work and input from others. Our work has clearly shown that there are four species and seven subspecies of giraffe, and the Natural Selection Foundation has been one of the supporters of this project over the years.”
GCF’s latest statistics show that the Northern, Reticulated and Southern giraffe are showing positive trends in their numbers, while the Masai giraffe numbers have stabilised. Decisive conservation actions and increased interest in giraffe are showing effect through these figures. As GCF point out, they’re also getting better at counting giraffe!
A great way to familiarise yourself with the work we do in collaboration with GCF in the wonderful world of giraffe conservation, is by joining our Giraffe Conservation Safari through Namibia on which you’ll meet some of Africa’s finest giraffe conservationists.
This nine day adventure is guided by Emma Wells and Katie Ahl. Personable, passionate, vastly knowledgeable and great company, this couple will be with you every step of the way, ready to answer questions, keep things running smoothly and show you the work on the ground.
“This trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get hands on with the people who are the leaders in giraffe conservation,” the pair explain. “You are invited to take an active role in observing what it takes to study and conserve giraffe in a wild and remote location and what is being done to conserve them throughout Africa. Not only will you meet some of GCF’s team of experts, but you will also be hosted by two giraffe specialists who work hand in hand with GCF and Natural Selection. This is your chance to ask every question you’ve ever wanted to know about giraffe from the people who are in the know and on the front lines. If you love giraffe this is the trip for you.”
The journey begins in Windhoek where the group will convene at The Weinberg for the first night and meet the Stephanie Fennessy, Executive Director and Co-Founder of GCF.
The following day you’ll head to Etosha Heights Private Reserve where you’ll see how the land has been successfully transformed from a hunting area into a destination for photographic safaris and conservation. Giraffe will be the focus during your stay but you’re also likely to see lion, elephant and both black and white rhino.
You’ll spend two nights at Etosha Mountain Lodge within the reserve and meet members of GCF’s team at the Etosha Heights Conservation Centre (EHCC). The centre is a field station in the reserve from which GCF runs a comprehensive conservation and education initiative in collaboration with the Namibia University of Science and Technology and Etosha Heights Private Reserve. The team will talk (and walk) you through the work being done by GCF and their partners in the reserve.
Travellers will be able to join the GCF team as they check camera traps, help identify individual giraffe, learn how to track them and take game drives to see the conservation successes first hand.
Your next two nights will be at Hoanib Elephant Camp where you’ll work alongside other members of the GCF team, including Dr Julian Fennessy. Together you’ll observe the desert-adapted giraffe and you’ll have the once in a lifetime opportunity to be involved in a tagging operation, helping the GCF team fit GPS satellite tags to the giraffe so they can be monitored remotely and we can better understand their movements and how they use their habitat. 1.5% of every guest’s stay at Hoanib Elephant Camp goes directly to conservation and community work, and 60% of this goes to GCF’s work in the area.
“Northwestern Namibia is the home of GCF’s long-term programme monitoring the desert dwelling Angolan giraffe,” recount Katie and Emma. “In the late 90s GCF Director Julian Fennessey started his PhD research on this giraffe population in the Hoanib, Hoarusib and Khumib Rivers. The project continues to collect valuable data on the movements, social structures, lifespan and breeding behaviours. Some people may assume the world knows a lot about giraffe, but giraffe are an understudied species (or indeed four understudied species!), and this long-term monitoring is critical to better understand giraffe and conservation management of giraffe throughout Africa.”
The trip wraps up with two nights at Shipwreck Lodge in Namibia’s rugged Skeleton Coast National Park. Here you can truly appreciate the adaptations animals must make to survive in the desert, and you may even see Angola giraffe traversing the sand dunes.
Your time at Shipwreck Lodge is the perfect opportunity to reflect on your travels and discuss what you’ve seen and done with your fellow travellers and your guides Katie and Emma.
Emma and Katie previously worked for GCF and ran and managed their long-term giraffe conservation monitoring programme in Northwest Namibia. They’re veritable experts on both the desert-dwelling Angola giraffe and the conservation work being done.
Giraffes have been a major part of the ladies’ lives since their early zookeeping days. “I am drawn to their ethereal ways and curious nature,” reflects Katie. “There is just something about their long eyelashes and soft, almost silent way of moving that speaks to me. But once I made my first visit to Africa in 2017, I knew I needed to understand them on a deeper level and be part of their conservation in Africa”.
Should the stars fail to align for you on the Giraffe Conservation Safari, there’s another opportunity to meet the pair and that’s by booking a stay at Thamo Telele. Here they take guests on a giraffe experience where they learn about giraffe biology, conservation and research.
On this trip, or a stay at these lodges, you’ll meet the people on the ground, making a real difference to the future of giraffes. You’ll also spend quality time with these otherworldly creatures.
“Giraffe are iconic,” smiles Julian. “They’re also vital to Africa’s ecosystems as they shape, pollinate and maintain healthy savannah habitats, which supports biodiversity. Culturally and economically, they are iconic symbols for African people, attracting ecotourism that supports conservation and local livelihoods”.
The Giraffe Conservation Safari is scheduled for 2-10 September 2026. Get in touch if you’re ready to make the journey.