Wildlife animals are usually fierce-looking that it is impossible for anyone to not take notice. In Tanzania, an extremely rare white giraffe is attracting attention, but it is not because of usual reasons.
North Carolina-based Wild Nature Institute (WNI) spotted the 15-month-old giraffe at the Tarangire National Park. The animal had a pale white skin color and a reddish mane.
Fortunately, the group was able to capture photos. The giraffe was named Omo, after the name of a local detergent brand.
The recent sighting is not the first time that scientists were able to spot the rare animal. Around the same time in 2015, Omo made its first appearance.
"We are thrilled that she is still alive and well," the WNI blog post reads.
Tarangire is the sixth biggest national park in Tanzania and has over 3,000 giraffe species. The white giraffe sighting is very rare that it has only been seen twice in Tarangire within the past two decades.
People may think that the giraffe got its white color from albinism, which is characterized by lack of melanin in the skin. WNI's principal scientist Dr Derek Lee says that is not the case for Omo.
Instead, he explained that the white giraffe has leucism, which involves the partial loss of pigmentation in all bodily cells, including the eyes. As a result, the Omo's eyes are red from the underlying blood vessels.
Giraffe is the national animal of Tanzania, hence, it is unlawful to kill the creatures. Despite the rules, Lee says about 50 percent of giraffe populations are killed during its first year of life due to predators such as lions, leopards and hyenas.
Bush meat poaching is also a problem, not only for the likes of Omo, but for all giraffe species as well. Luckily, Omo lives in a national park, where there are anti-poaching measures, giving the rare giraffe a better chance at survival.
Lee and his wife are currently studying how humans can live with giraffes by going to places where both species frequently have contact. They hope to heighten the survival of Omo and its relatives through their conservation project.
Other giraffes accepting Omo despite its unique appearance speaks volumes to humans, Lee suggests. Humans have this yearning for acceptance and tolerance amid differences, and the situation of the giraffes right now is good example of that.
