After news of their first sighting broke out, a number of people have flocked to the area in hopes of catching a glimpse of these beautiful and rare white giraffes, and for the first time they have been caught on camera. One female white giraffe, accompanied by her baby, a small pale giraffe were seen by in Kenya by a villager near the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy. The mother giraffe seemed relaxed and was not bothered by humans at close proximity. She was however, signaling her baby to hide behind the bushes. Unlike albinism or the lack of melanin, the condition this giraffe has is believed to be called leucism, which is a condition that prevents the skin cells from developing any pigmentation.
A large number of species can have this genetic condition such as; lions, birds fish, hippos and much more. Although there is not enough information regarding whether the African sun can cause damage to these giraffe’s skin, the animals looked healthy and unbothered for any reason whatsoever. The conservancy community and visitors were extremely excited to see these beautiful rare animals and were united in protecting them. Additionally, knowing that the giraffe population is under threat in Africa most commonly due to hunting, the widespread online attention this rare footage has drawn will also be directed towards creating a safe community for these animals.