The only female white giraffe in Kenya and her calf have been killed by poachers at the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy.
This has been confirmed by the Conservancy manager Mohammed Ahmednoor.
In 2017, the news of the presence of the white giraffe in Kenya made headlines across the world, with various people marvelling at its sight.
It gave birth to a male calf in 2017 hence adding the number to 2.
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Additionally, in June 2019, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officials confirmed that the giraffe was pregnant again, and gave birth months later to its second baby, a female calf hence making adding the number to three.
Congratulatory messages flew across the country following its the new addition, with tourists flocking into the conservancy.
“The famous white giraffe in Ishaqbini-Hirola Community Conservancy, Garissa County, has given birth to her second white baby! It’s a family of three now, all white!” Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) posted online.
Reports from National Geographics refuted the claims by netizens that the giraffes were albinos, rather, they clarified that they suffered from a condition known as leucism which hindered skin cells from produce pigmentations.
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Ideally, the condition, however, allowed other organs including eyes to be coloured.
“Leucistic animals are mostly white but can produce some pigment. For example, many still spot colour in their eyes,” read a report by the Nat Geo.
According to the report, the survival rate of giraffes that have the same condition is low since their colour stands out and makes them easily seen by predators.
The killing of the giraffe and its female calf render the female white giraffes as extinct in Kenya.
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