Researchers with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation recently spotted two dwarf giraffes in Namibia and Uganda.
These adult male giraffes are the first dwarf giraffes that have been described in the scientific literature.
Using digital photogrammetry techniques, the researchers found that these giraffes had shorter legs compared to others of similar age.
Limited mobility caused by shorter leg dimension might make these giraffes more susceptible to predation, even in the adult life stages.
Also, successful mounting for breeding seems physically improbable, suggesting the inability to transfer any potential genes associated with this condition.
However, the researchers caution that the study was conducted largely on two opportunistic observations of wild giraffes encountered in the field.