Kenya's Last White Female Giraffes Slaughtered by Poachers
The mother and her calf were found “in a skeletal state after being killed by armed poachers.”
Poachers have killed Kenya’s only female white giraffe and her seven-month-old calf, according to conservationists.
Wildlife officials announced in a statement that the two animals were found “in a skeletal state after being killed by armed poachers” in a nature conservancy in Garissa County, northeastern Kenya.
“We are the only community in the world who are custodians of the white giraffe,” said Mohammed Ahmednoor, the manager of the conservancy.
“Its killing is a blow to tremendous steps taken by the community to conserve rare and unique species, and a wakeup call for continued support to conservation efforts.”
A third white giraffe - the young, lone male offspring of the slaughtered female - is believed to still be alive.
The white giraffe garnered attention in 2017 when she was first discovered on the conservancy. She was later reported to have been seen with her two white calves, with videos of the encounter going viral.
Her hide is caused by a condition known as leucism. Unlike albinism, animals with leucism continue to produce dark pigments in their soft tissue, giving them dark eyes.
The poachers have not yet been identified and experts from the Kenya Wildlife Society are now investigating the brutal slaughter.
Around the world, giraffes are facing an increasing number of threats. Their populations have declined by more than 40 percent over the last three decades, leaving just 16,000, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
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