Giraffes, the tallest mammals on land and the largest ruminants, are well-known for their impressive height which can reach nearly 6 meters.

With long legs and a towering neck, these features provide them with a distinct survival advantage, enabling them to forage for leaves high up in the trees.

However, recent discoveries by animal conservationists have unveiled the presence of two dwarf giraffes, one in Uganda and the other in Namibia, challenging the conventional stature of these majestic creatures.

Gimli, a Nubian giraffe in Uganda, stands at a mere 2.86 meters, while Nigel, an Angolan giraffe in Namibia, is even shorter, measuring only 2.59 meters.

Let's delve into the intriguing world of these "short-legged" giraffes. At first glance, one might mistake them for giraffe calves due to their diminutive size. Upon closer examination, it becomes evident that Gimli and Nigel exhibit certain bone development problems, setting them apart from normal sub-adult giraffes.

The revelation of these unique giraffes stems from the meticulous observations of Michael Butler Brown and Emma Wells, dedicated animal conservationists from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

Their extensive experience working with giraffes on the African savannah spans several years. The initial encounter occurred on December 15, 2015, in Uganda's Murchison National Forest, where they noticed a male Nubian giraffe with conspicuously disproportionate limb sizes in relation to its carapace and elongated neck.

Subsequent observations on December 2, 2016, and March 17, 2017, confirmed the giraffe's condition, indicating that it was at least 15 months old by then.

A second instance unfolded on May 10, 2018, at a private farm in central Namibia. Brown and Wells observed and photographed another sub-adult male giraffe displaying apparent anatomical disparities.

A subsequent observation on July 29, 2020, revealed that this giraffe, known as Nigel, had been born in 2014, according to the owner.

It's noteworthy that no other giraffes displaying similar morphological abnormalities were found in the investigated populations.

To avoid any negative impact on the giraffes' survival, scientists conducted a comparative morphometric analysis of the two dwarf giraffes using digital photogrammetry, a measurement technique employing laser ranging to characterize their skeletal dysplasia-like syndrome.

The results of the measurements unveiled significant differences in the skeletal proportions of these "pygmy" giraffes compared to the population-level measurements of sub-adult giraffes. Their metacarpals and flexors were notably shorter than those of their counterparts.

Additionally, Nigel's phalanges and neck length were shorter than the average giraffe, while Gimli's phalanges did not significantly differ in length, and his neck length exceeded the giraffe population average.

The naming of "Gimli" is well-established, and this marks the first documented case of dwarfism in either captive or wild giraffes, according to the authors. Unfortunately, the observation of these wild giraffes was incidental, and a comprehensive longitudinal study on these individuals was unfeasible due to the limited sample size and potential inaccuracies associated with laser photogrammetry.

The discovery of these dwarf giraffes adds a new dimension to our understanding of giraffe morphology, emphasizing the need for further research to comprehend the implications of such anomalies and their impact on giraffe populations in the wild.