Dwarfism Made 2 Giraffes Possibly Smallest In The World; Just 9 Feet, Which Is Half The Average Size

A giraffe's average height is about 18 feet. However, scientists have found two, that are just half that size.

In Uganda, conservation scientists found a nine-foot, four-inch tall Nubian giraffe, and then an Angolan giraffe that stood just eight and a half feet high (yeah, this is really small for a giraffe). The conclusion that researchers came to after finding the two was, dwarfism.

Often known as skeletal dysplasia, the disorder results in bone growth defects and is characterised by a shortened anatomy that is irregularly proportioned.

Emma Wells/Giraffe Conservation Foundation

Because of inbreeding, dwarfism is recognised among humans and captive animals, but has rarely been observed among wild animals, and the recent findings are the first to be confirmed in giraffes.

According to New York Times, the two giraffes, called Gimil and Nigel, were spotted by conservation scientists partnering with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

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Emma Wells/Giraffe Conservation Foundation

The Nubian giraffe, called Gimil, was first seen at Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda in five years ago. The male, a calf at the time, was noted by researchers to have disproportionate limb dimensions relative to its torso and neck.

In the next few years, the team returned to the park to take pictures and measurements as he grew up. In July 2020, the last photographs and measurements were taken; that¡¯s when Gimil was last observed.

An Angolan giraffe, nicknamed Nigel, lived on a private farm in central Namibia and, over the course of a few years, was tracked in the same way as Gimil.

The photographs and measurements of both giraffes - both mature adults - were compared by scientists to those of other giraffes who are close in age and come from the same population.

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Emma Wells/Giraffe Conservation Foundation

The team found that the smaller giraffes had shorter legs, specifically shorter radii and metacarpal bones, than their counterparts.

The pair also displayed shortened fore-limbs to various degrees and different lengths of the body.

Skeletal dysplasia has been shown to lower survival rates among animals in captivity, but the team reports that the disease does not affect their survival rate due to the giraffes living past the age of one year.

However, because of his shorter legs, the Nambian giraffe has limited mobility and the researchers fear it makes him vulnerable to predication, even as an adult.