There is one species of giraffe, with 9 recognized subspecies. The subspecies shown here is the Baringo giraffe, native to Uganda and Kenya. The giraffe with the crooked neck was born like this. From the Santa Barbara Zoo website, "Her condition has not interfered with her ability to give birth, eat normally or interact with the herd..." ( http://www.santabarbarazoo.org/exhibits.asp). The other giraffes interact with her quite nicely! If you are visiting Santa Barbara, this little zoo is a must-see. The exhibits are kept up nicely and are very naturalistic.