In war-torn South Sudan, giraffes retain a surprisingly healthy gene pool

Researchers from South Sudan's government, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, and African Parks sampled DNA from 30 Nubian giraffes in Boma and Badingilo national parks. They found the population carries relatively high genetic diversity and low inbreeding, despite the subspecies' collapse from roughly 15,000 individuals in 1995 to about 235 by 2025.

The study also overturned an assumption that the White Nile River blocked gene flow between South Sudanese and Ethiopian giraffe populations, finding historical evidence the two groups mixed. Researchers credit the relatively undeveloped, lightly disturbed Boma-Badingilo landscape, while noting that political instability remains a real threat to the population's future.

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