Bahr el Zeraf Bahr ez Zeraf, Giraffe River, Phow[1]
Location in South Sudan
Etymology	1. from Arabic "Giraffe River" 2. Indigenous name for one of 21 (now defunct) initial states of South Sudan (2014-2020)
Native name	بَـحْـر الـزّرَاف (Arabic)
Location
Country	South Sudan
State	Jonglei
Region	Central Upper Nile
Physical characteristics
Source	Sudd swamp
• location	South Sudan
• coordinates	7°30′N 30°48′E / 7.5°N 30.8°E / 7.5; 30.8
Source confluence
• location	Zeraf Cuts, South Sudan
• coordinates	7°46′05″N 30°34′01″E / 7.768°N 30.567°E / 7.768; 30.567
Mouth	White Nile
• location	New Fangak, South Sudan
• coordinates	9°24′47″N 31°09′47″E / 9.413°N 31.163°E / 9.413; 31.163

The Bahr el Zeraf (Arabic: بَـحْـر الـزّرَاف, romanized: Baḥr ez-Zerāf, also known as the Giraffe or Phow River in the English language,^[2] is an arm of the White Nile in the Sudd region of South Sudan. It is completely contained within the South Sudanese state of Jonglei. Its name is Arabic for "Giraffe River".^[3]

Course

The Bahr el Zeraf forms in the southern Sudd wetlands as an arm of the Bahr al Jabal ("Mountain Nile") section of the White Nile. A pair of man-made canals known as the Zeraf Cuts were dug in 1910 and 1913^[4] to connect the two rivers at 7°46′05″N 30°34′01″E / 7.768°N 30.567°E / 7.768; 30.567.^[5] These canals divert some of the Jabal's flow, more than doubling the Zeraf's volume, with the intention of accelerating the flow to Egypt and thereby reducing the water "lost" to evaporation and transpiration in the swamps.^[4]

From the Cuts the Zeraf flows north through the Ez Zeraf Game Reserve for 280 kilometres (170 mi). About 100 kilometres (62 mi) of this distance is through continuous swamp with islands, transitioning further downstream to a well-defined channel with raised banks.^[4] The Zeraf rejoins the White Nile near New Fangak,^[6] 80 kilometres (50 mi) downriver from Lake No and 56 kilometres (35 mi) upriver from Malakal.^[7]