A pair of rare white giraffes have been spotted in Kenya.
The two giraffes, a mother and child, appear to suffer from a genetic condition called leucism, which is different from albinism. Animals with leucism still can continue to produce dark pigment in their soft tissue, which is the reason why they have dark eyes.
The pair were reportedly first discovered by locals this June, and Hirola Conservation Program (HCP), a local non-governmental organization then followed up the reports to track down the two this August.
The two seemed so comfortable in their surroundings that they were unaware of HCP staff recording them.
“They were so close and extremely calm and seemed not disturbed by our presence,” Business Insider quoted an HCP blog post as saying.
Giraffes are the world’s tallest land mammal and mainly inhabit southern and eastern Africa. The species is assessed as “vulnerable,” just below the “Endangered” category, according to the Red List of Threatened Species of International Union for Conservation of Nature. It estimated that there were 97,562 giraffes in the world in 2015.
(Photo credit to Sina)
info source: https://www.facebook.com/ChinaGlobalTVNetwork/photos/pcb.1893800090660802/1893791477328330/?type=3