Giraffes, like other species such as leopards, zebras or whale sharks, have unique patterns that allow the identification of individuals. By taking photos of one animal – preferably of both sides – ID catalogues can be created. This makes it easier to recognise individuals, know if one same animal has been in two different places or keep track of family relationships. The information can be extremely valuable for reserve managers and conservation biologists who need to understand animal movements, population growth or the effectiveness of conservation measures.
The first giraffes that arrived to Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve in Namibia in the 1990s were five individuals from Etosha National Park. Since then the population has grown, and in 2021/22, we identified all the giraffes and described the population structure.
Although AI softwares able to recognise and compare animal patterns are available, when you see the animals every day – and at a manageable population size of under 50 individuals – your ability to learn the individual patterns by heart gets better with every encounter.
For the human eye, finding familiar patterns within  a mix of uneven shapes makes them stick out and
easier to see. A little dose of imagination might be needed, but once you look at one individual giraffes and see a heart, a flower, or the shape of a specific country, you won’t be able to unsee it. And because fun and short names are easier to remember than any mix of letters and numbers, this is how some giraffes ended up being called Window, Concha (Shell in Spanish), or Crown. Many names relate to their individual patters, which made them easier to remember.
The population consisted of 41 individuals – 17 females, 13 males and 11 calves (5 females and 6 males) – and if you visit the reserve and look at the left side of the individuals, you might be able to recognise some of them from the catalogue.
As of today, some giraffes are no longer with us and other newborns have joined, but the coolest part is recognising the same patterns in those that were very young when they got an initial ID. Their necks got longer and the gaps between the patches wider, but if you look closely you will find those characteristic spots that gave them their unique identity.
Take a look at their photos in the document below and see if you can make the connection between the name and the pattern, and if you're in Namibia, pay them a visit at Kuzikus and try to spot them.
If you want to contribute to giraffe monitoring and conservation efforts across Africa, you can also upload photos of any giraffe you have spotted to Giraffe Spotter, which will compare your photo to others in the database and record the different locations where the individual was sighted. Check out Giraffe Conservation Foundation to learn more about the different species and the programmes carried out.