An extremely rare white giraffe has been caught on camera outside the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy in Kenya.
The animal was pictured on June 30, 2020, just outside the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy in the Ijara County.
The giraffe that was caught on cam reportedly has a rare genetic condition that is called leucism, which results in a lack of pigmentation in skill cells, hair, fur, feathers, or scales.
Unlike albinism, which is only an absence of melanin, leucism causes a reduction in multiple types of pigment, which makes the giraffe pure white.
Animals with leucism usually have dark eyes. However, albino animals have pink eyes.
The animal that is in the picture is the last of the kind in the world.
Earlier this year 2 of the relatives of the last white giraffe were killed by poachers.
In March this year, rangers from the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy discovered the carcasses of a female white giraffe and her calf.
They were found in a village in Garissa County in March this year.
Mohammed Ahmednoor, manager of Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy released a statement about the incident, where they said:
This is a very sad day for the community of Ijara and Kenya as a whole. We are the only community in the world who are custodians of the white giraffe. It’s killing is a blow to the tremendous steps taken by the community to conserve rare and unique species and a wake-up call for continued support to conservation efforts. This is a long-term loss given that genetics studies and research which were significant investment into the area by researchers, has now gone to the drain. Also, the white giraffe was a big boost to tourism in the area. After this incident, only a lone bull remains.
The white giraffes that we are talking about were first discovered by the authorities in 2016.
They were filmed for the first time in 2018 but sadly they were killed earlier this year by cruel poachers.