Rare White Giraffes

"Incredibly rare with what appears to be only a handful sightings in the wild captured on film, white reticulated giraffes are pale in color thanks to a genetic condition called leucism. Unlike albinism, in leucism skin cells don’t produce pigmentation, but soft tissues, like dark eyes, do.

So far the white giraffes have been found only in Tanzania and Kenya; the first was reported in January 2016 in Tarangire National park, Tanzania. The two pictured here come from Kenya.

The duo is an adult female and calf, and they were filmed by the Hirola Conservation Programme (HCP), a group that partners with Rainforest Trust (RT). The giraffes were in the region where Rainforest Trust and HCP are protecting vital habitat for the Hirola, the world’s most threatened antelope, explains RT.

Hirola Conservation Programme notes:

Early june this year, reports of a white baby giraffe and its mother were reported to us by the rangers who got the report from one of the villagers adjacent to the Ishaqbini conservancy. We hurriedly headed to the scene as soon as we got the news. And lo! There, right in front of us, was the so hyped ‘white giraffe’ of Ishaqbini conservancy!"