Rare Spotless Giraffe Born In US Zoo Believed To Be The Only One In The World
'102 Dalmatians': Giraffe edition.
A zoo in Tennessee, the USA, has just welcomed the world's rarest giraffe into its family — a spotless one!
Image via Brights Zoo (Facebook)
Brights Zoo said the female giraffe was born without spots on 31 July and is asking the public to vote on a name for her.
The zoo has narrowed it down to four name choices. They are listed below along with their meanings:
1. Kipekee - Unique
2. Firyali - Unusual or extraordinary
3. Shakiri - She is most beautiful
4. Jamella - One of great beauty
The votes will be tallied and her name will be announced at the end of the voting session on 4 September.
The giraffe is considered a rarity, as these tall creatures are usually born with spots to help them camouflage in the wild
Experts believe she is currently the only spotless giraffe living in the world.
According to AP News, research found another giraffe born without a pattern in Tokyo in 1972 and two others before that.
Image via Brights Zoo/The Today Show
Giraffe patches actually serve a purpose
Each patch has a series of blood vessels surrounding them that release heat into the middle of the patch. This system is a way for the animal to regulate its temperature.
Image via Brights Zoo/The Today Show
Brights Zoo hopes this unique birth will bring awareness to highlight challenges faced by giraffes in the wild, such as their population slowly slipping into extinction due to fragmentation of their habitat and illicit poaching.
"40% of the wild giraffe population [has been] lost in just the last three decades," founder of Brights Zoo, Tony Bright, said to the local television news station WCYB.
This one-of-a-kind giraffe, which is already 6ft tall, is currently under the care of her mother and zoo staff.
Here's to a happy and long life, little one!
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