Captive giraffes in Alipore Zoological Garden, Kolkata are Nubian

In India, eleven zoological parks hold 29 captive giraffes. The origins of these giraffes are mostly unknown, as many zoological parks lack detailed records of their first acquisitions, whether wild or from any facility outside India. Giraffe classification has garnered attention in recent years due to the fact that giraffes are classed as three to four separate species. The goal of this study was to analyse mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I, cytochrome B, and the control region in order to identify species using modern taxonomic techniques. We extracted mucus DNA from fresh dung samples collected at the Alipore Zoological Garden, Kolkata. To determine the species, three mitochondrial regions were amplified, sequenced, and compared to previously published sequences. The results suggest that the giraffes at the Alipore zoo are Northern ( Giraffa camelopardalis ), and the subspecies is Nubian ( Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis ). The study is expected to help conservation breeding of giraffes at Alipore zoo with the goal of preserving and enriching the species' genetic makeup.