Spotless Angolan giraffe calf photographed in Namibia with mother.Photo:Eckart Demasius & Giraffe Conservation Foundation
Eckart Demasius & Giraffe Conservation Foundation
And then there were two!
Per a release from the nonprofit, a young Angolan giraffe without the animal’s distinctive pattern was recently photographed on a private game reserve, making it the first spotless giraffe recorded in Africa.
The Brights Zoo’s female reticulated giraffe,named Kipekee— Swahili for “unique” — has drawn worldwide attention and curiosity.
“Giraffe experts believe [Kipekee] is the only solid-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet,” Bright told PEOPLE last month, adding that a giraffe’s lifespan is about 25 to 30 years.
Spotless Angolan giraffe calf photographed in Namibia with mother.Eckart Demasius & Giraffe Conservation Foundation
While color variations or changes in spot or stripe patterns in various species are not uncommon, the exact cause of the spotless coat variation in these two giraffes is unclear.
“GCF, together with our partner, the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, has done the most detailed research on giraffe genetics in the wild, but it would be difficult to comment on the specifics of these two giraffes.”
GCF hopes that interest in the two rare giraffes will inspire people to support giraffe conservation efforts at a critical time. “Giraffe are in trouble, and if we don’t act now, our grandchildren might not be able to see any giraffe in the wild when they grow up,” Stephanie Fennessy, GCF’s executive director and co-founder, said.
Bright said he believes Kipekee could help reverse the dismaying trend.
“Keep an eye on her,” he said. “This is the best way for a zoo to get out the word for conservation. We need everybody to get involved to help protect wild giraffes. She has the ability to be the spokesperson for that.”
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Indeed, since her arrival,Kipekee has been drawing large crowdsof animal lovers to the Tennessee zoo. A record-breaking number of people — more than 10,000 — visited the. private zoo over Labor Day weekend alone, according to Bright.
“Everybody wants to see this,” the zoo director told PEOPLE. “People from all over the world.”
The zoo’s staff called other zoos and veterinarians at the University of Tennessee to ask if they had ever seen or heard of a spotless giraffe like Kipekee after the calf’s birth.
“Even the old-old timers who are in their 80s have never heard of this. So we knew it was pretty unique,” Bright said, adding that scientists plan to visit the zoo and take thermal images of the giraffe to learn more about her unique brown coat.
source: people.com
