One of a kind: Spotless giraffe born in US private zoo

In January 2016, a group of white giraffes, a mother and two calves, were spotted for the first time in the wild in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

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A private zoo in Tennessee, USA has welcomed the birth of a rare spotless giraffe with brown fur.

As per The Guardian, the calf, born on July 31, is six feet tall and is under the care of Brights Zoo which believes that the young one is one of its kind in the entire world.

On Tuesday, the zoo asked its patrons to select a name for the calf. In a Facebook post, the zoo wrote, “We have 4 names to choose from, The names and their meanings are below: 1. Kipekee – Unique 2. Firali – Unusual or Extradonary 3. Shakiri – She is most beautiful 4. Jamella – One of great beauty”. The voting will be open till September 4, after which the zoo will announce the most popular name.

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The zoo has also urged people to support wildlife conservation organisations like ‘Save Giraffes Now’ so that the “future generations get the opportunity to see these wonderful animals”.

This is not the only giraffe that has made it to the news because of its unique colour. In January 2016, a group of white giraffes, a mother and two calves, were spotted for the first time in the wild in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Their second sighting was reported in March 2016 in Ishaqbini conservancy in Garissa County, Kenya.

Unfortunately, in 2020 poachers killed the mother and one of her calves. However, the other calf survived, making it the only known white giraffe in the wild. The white appearance of the giraffe is caused due to leucism, a genetic condition that causes skin cells to have little or no pigmentation.