Rare White Giraffe At Ishaqbini Hirola Sanctuary

The Kenya Wildlife Service has given Kenyans great news after a very long time. The institution recently excited many after announcing the rare white giraffe is heavily pregnant and expecting to pop out an offspring anytime from now.

KWS revealed the white giraffe based at the Ishaqbini Hirola Sanctuary in Ijara sub-county, Garissa county is expecting its second calf.

Having birthed a male calf in Feb 2017, mama giraffe is again expectant, the conservator tweeted. The mama giraffe gave birth to a male calf back in February 2017 and everyone had been hopeful she would give birth to yet another one.

Ishaqbini Hirola Sanctuary is not only home to the rare white giraffe but also the critically endangered Hirola Antelope.

Following the announcement, Kenyans took to Twitter to take pride in the feat and prayed for the white giraffe's safety even as it awaits delivery.

The rare animal was spotted with its calf in Garissa county in 2018. The two unique giraffes were first seen by a villager, who immediately alerted wild life conservationists from Hirola Conservation Programme (HCP) in Garissa.

According to HCP, the extremely rare type of giraffe actually suffers from a genetic condition known as laicism, which is like albinism in humans.

However, there is a slight different between laicism in giraffes and albinism in humans.

Chances are you have seen a giraffe, but most likely not a white giraffe. Well, a pair of white giraffes, mother and baby, have been spotted in Garissa County, Kenya.

The two unique giraffes were first seen by a villager, who immediately alerted wild life conservationists from Hirola Conservation Programme (HCP) in Garissa. According to HCP, the extremely rare type of giraffes actually suffer from a genetic condition known as laicism, which is like albinism in humans.

However, there is slight different between laicism in giraffes and albinism in humans. Laicism, experts say, is caused by reduction in multiple types of pigment.

Albinism, on the other hand, is caused by absence of melanin.

In this case, the two giraffes are said to lacking multiple types of pigment in their body, which has resulted in their distinctive white color.

The only other place where white giraffes have ever been spotted, HCP notes, is in Tanzania’s Tarangire National park.


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