Famous White Giraffe Mother and Son Tragically Killed by Poison, Only One Remains on Earth
The rarest giraffe species on Earth
White giraffe
Now there may only be one left.
According to foreign media reports, recently, two skeletons of white giraffes were discovered in Kenya's wildlife protection area, suspected to have been killed by poachers.
The local natural protection area issued a statement on the 10th
These two skeletons were found in the northeastern part of Kenya, in the county of Garissa where the protected area is located. At the time of discovery, these two skeletons were in a state of skeletonization. It was judged that they belonged to a female giraffe and its calf, respectively, and were killed by poachers.
After the death of these two giraffes, the protected area currently only has one living white male giraffe.
This giraffe was also born to the above female giraffe and is considered the only remaining white giraffe in the world today.
The pair of white giraffes mother and son were first discovered in 2017. Due to their extremely rare skin color, they quickly topped the headlines of major media around the world.
Experts say that the reason why these giraffes have white skin is due to a rare 'white gene'. Unlike simple albinism which lacks melanin, the white gene will prevent the deposition of pigment in skin cells, but will not affect the eyes' pupils remaining black.
The other white giraffe was born in August last year. Since then, a family of three has been living freely in the protected area and has attracted visitors from all over the world to visit.
Currently, the identity and motivation of the poachers are still unclear, and the Kenya Wildlife Services is investigating.
In fact, in addition to the white giraffes, the entire giraffe population is shrouded in the shadow of poaching.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified giraffes as 'vulnerable' (the next stage is endangered, critically endangered, wild extinction and extinction). From 1985 to 2015, the number of giraffes worldwide has decreased from 150,000 to 160,000 to 97,000.
