JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
We're used to thinking of giraffes as one species. Turns out there are actually four distinct species of the world's tallest mammal. That's according to a review published in August by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
STEPH FENNESSY: This is really, really big news because now that it is officially recognized, it will hopefully help us raise awareness for giraffe.
SUMMERS: That's Steph Fennessy, the director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, which participated in the research.
FENNESSY: Other people have a life. We have giraffe (laughter).
SUMMERS: Her organization has been researching giraffe DNA for more than 20 years, initially to help American zoos.
FENNESSY: We started collecting DNA samples. And at that time, we had realized that there was something really fascinating going on in the wild - that there was probably different types of giraffe that were so significantly different that they could be considered different species.
SUMMERS: So they did a DNA analysis of about 2,000 samples and scanned more than 500 giraffe skulls. Fennessy says they found significant differences between the four species.
FENNESSY: I mean, a giraffe is still a giraffe. But a bear is also a bear, and the genetic difference between two giraffe species is bigger than the difference between a brown bear and a polar bear.
SUMMERS: She believes the official recognition of these four species will help with conservation efforts. See, previously, giraffes were classified as one species with several subspecies, and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists giraffes overall as vulnerable.
FENNESSY: And then they listed some of the subspecies as endangered or even critically endangered. Talking about subspecies becomes quite complicated, and people are not really that interested when you start going into so much technical detail.
SUMMERS: Now, countries and nonprofits can pay special attention to the species that are more endangered than others, like the northern giraffe, with just over 7,000 remaining in the wild.
FENNESSY: Which makes them one of the most endangered large mammals in the wild.
SUMMERS: The review will now be used to guide upcoming IUCN assessments of endangered species. Fennessy hopes this new designation will make it easier for groups like the Giraffe Conservation Foundation to raise awareness and funding.
FENNESSY: We hope it makes our life and our work a little bit easier. But my life hasn't changed overnight (laughter), unfortunately. I had hoped that lots of people would have come and said, here's money, and help us save giraffe. But it's still to come.
SUMMERS: In the meantime, her foundation will continue teaching people about these animals and working to increase their numbers.
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