The Unique White Female Long-Necked Giraffe and Her Child Were Killed by Poachers, Leaving Only a Pile of Bones
This is sad news. In 2017, a unique family of white giraffes was discovered in the Ishaqbini Hirola Natural Reserve in eastern Kenya, consisting of a female and her two offspring. However, yesterday, a shocking tragedy occurred – the female giraffe and one of her children were killed by poachers, leaving only a pile of bones.
The white giraffes in Kenya suffer from a condition called Leucism, which is not the same as albinism. Due to a lack of various pigments in their bodies, their skin and hair have varying degrees of whiteness. The difference between Leucism and albinism is that people with albinism are sensitive to light, while those with Leucism are not.
The only known family of white giraffes, consisting of a mother and her two children, drew a huge sensation upon their discovery, bringing a large number of tourists to the natural reserve. Local residents consider these three white giraffes a protector of nature, believing that seeing a white giraffe brings them good luck.
Unfortunately, even this beautiful protector could not save itself from being killed by greedy and brutal humans. It is unknown how much profit these poachers gained by hunting this last family of white giraffes!
The head of the Ishaqbini Hirola Natural Reserve, Muhammad Alhassan Noel, stated in a statement that today is a very sad day for Ishaqbini and the entire Kenyan protected area, representing a long-term loss, as geneticists have spent a lot of money researching them.
Currently, only one male giraffe, the other child of the white female giraffe, remains, and we hope he will not suffer any more accidents.
