Explained: Status of White Giraffe

News:Recently, Poachers have killed two extremely rare white giraffes in northeast Kenya leaving just one such animal in the world.

Facts:

About Giraffe:

  • Giraffes are most often found in savanna/woodland habitats and range widely throughout Africa.
  • IUCN Status: Vulnerable
  • CITES:Appendix II
  • Threats: Habitat loss, civil unrest, poaching and ecological issues.

Note:The white appearance of the giraffe is due to leucism,a genetic condition that causes skin cells to have no pigmentation.It is different to albinism where no melanin is produced at all.