Masai giraffes more endangered than previously thought, finds new study
Monday, June 12, 2023 - 13:13
in Biology & Nature
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 of thousands of years. The researchers recommend that the two populations be considered separately for conservation purposes, with separate but coordinated conservation efforts to manage each population.