The reticulated giraffe has a network of white lines and occurs mainly in northern and northeastern Kenya.
Clear white lines surround orange-brown patches, with the pattern continuing down the legs.
Reticulated giraffes move into and out of fenced conservancies through purpose-built gaps. At Lewa in Kenya, they cross structures combining low stone walls and bollards. These are designed to restrict rhinoceros movements while allowing other wildlife to pass.
Researchers placed camera traps at gaps in Lewa and neighbouring Borana to study wildlife passage. Cameras at Lewa recorded 7,879 reticulated giraffe passages during 2010–2013. Elephants and zebras used the gaps too, alongside lions and hyenas.
For Lewa’s northern gap in 2010–2011, the giraffe tally comprised 1,201 inbound and 1,212 outbound passages. These tall animals repeatedly used a constructed opening to cross the conservancy boundary.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
To address habitat fragmentation by fencing, conservancies including Lewa have installed wildlife gaps and monitor their use with cameras and patrols. The 2015 study analysed predation records across several species and found no support for the prediction that kills would concentrate near the gaps. The authors nevertheless recommended continued vigilance because conditions could change and crossings might become predator traps.