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The Rothchild’s giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) is one of nine recognized giraffe subspecies. The International Union for Conservation of Nature recognizes the species vulnerable and the subspecies near threatened, therefore great importance is placed upon their conservation. As case studies show that limbs of ungulates require critical care, it is important for veterinarians tasked with the treatment of these species, both wild and in captivity, to understand the intricate anatomy of such species in order to best treat health concerns which may arise, and therefore best support the overall conservation efforts.

Literature already exists regarding the anatomy of the giraffe; however only descriptive sources can be found in regard to the muscles and vasculature of the limbs. Previous dissection studies had only produced diagrams and of the hind limb alone. Despite additional available osteological research of the hind limb and several case studies that involve radiological interpretations there was no actual descriptive imagery to be found. This led our team to the clear conclusion that an imagery atlas of the forelimb muscles and vasculature structures was an essential supplementation to the available literature.

During the course of this work, we dissected the body of a deceased 10-day old female Rothschild’s giraffe calf and documented the dissection with photographs. The images were then processed and labelled according to the literature and based on comparative anatomy.

The aim of this work was to create an anatomy atlas that shows the intricate interaction of muscles and blood vessels of the giraffe forelimb. The macroscopic anatomy of the animal is presented with images taken at autopsy to provide veterinarians and researchers with a well-detailed clinical approach to the anatomy of the giraffe.