A rare albino white giraffe was recently seen in Tanzania. Read the full story for more on the discovery and the importance of this event.

1. White Giraffe Spotted in Tanzania
Researcher Doctor Derek Lee has spotted a snow white giraffe on the plains of the Tarangire
National Park in Tanzania. White giraffes are exceedingly rare with many experts suggesting
the last white one to be spotted was in 2005 and before that in 1993.
This white giraffe, called Ono, has a very rare condition called leucism. Unlike an albino
giraffe, this animal has the normal brown color below her knees, and her mane is the typical
color. Additionally, her eyes are black while albino animals have blue eyes. Albino animals
lack melanin in their bodies while those with leucism lack multiple types of pigmentation in
their bodies.
Her herd has readily accepted her. Doctor Lee, however, says that he is very concerned that
she will not survive. In fact, the researcher held off announcing his find for several months
to try to protect her. Lions, leopards, hyenas and crocodiles eat about 50 percent of giraffe
calves before they become a year old.
Lee says he is also worried about the giraffe because she is much easier to spot making her
a target for poachers who often kill giraffes for their meat and their hides. Some poachers
also kill giraffes just for their tails since having a strand of giraffe tail hair is considered
good luck in Africa. The tail hair is often used for sewing thread and for making jewelry.