Remarkable white giraffes have been sighted in northeastern Kenya. These creamy giraffes barely even look real, but the Hirola Conservation Program (HCP) captured two, a mother and baby, in a video. The animals have a genetic condition called leucism, which is not the same as albinism.
The white giraffes were spotted in an area where HCP, a Kenya-based non-governmental organization and partner Rainforest Trust, are protecting habitat for the hirola antelope. Rangers reported the white giraffes after hearing about them from villagers who live nearby, according to HCP, which rushed to the scene to see for themselves.
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They caught sight of the mother and juvenile, noting the adult female pacing back and forth a few yards away from them while signaling the baby to hide in the bushes. HCP noted this behavior is characteristic of many wildlife mothers working to protect their children.
Rainforest Trust said leucism turns animals’ appearance white. According to TreeHugger, skin cells in animals with leucism don’t produce pigmentation, but soft tissues do, like in the eyes of these giraffes, which are dark.
White giraffes aren’t common in the area, and HCP said most elders say they’ve never seen the creatures. HCP quoted a ranger, Bashir, who said, “This is new to us. I remember when I was a kid, we never saw them. It must be very recent and we are not sure what is causing it.”
White giraffes have been previously sighted in Kenya and in Tanzania. HCP said the first report of a white giraffe in the wild occurred just last year, in January 2016, in a Tanzania national park.
Via Hirola Conservation Program and TreeHugger
Images via screenshot
