Published4. October 2024, 06:44
Australia: Extremely rare albino wallaby: Olaf delights park visitors
In Australia, a particularly rare wallaby delights visitors to an animal park: Olaf is white – he was born as an albino. The mutation occurs only rarely in this species.
von
-
An albino wallaby was born in Symbio Wildlife Park in Australia.
-
Because the animals are only the size of a bean at birth, confirmation of this only came seven months later.
-
Albinism in wallabies only occurs in about one in 100,000 animals.
Snow-white offspring in a wildlife park in Australia: Seven months after the birth of wallaby Olaf, it is clear that the baby was born as an albino – an extremely rare mutation in the iconic marsupials. The toddler was given his name by the keepers at the Symbio Wildlife Park south of Sydney based on the funny snowman Olaf from the computer animated film “Frozen,” as the park announced.
The mutation occurs in humans as well as in many animal species, but is very rare: According to the park, on average only one in 17,000 newborns has the genetic defect. There are albino gorillas, for example, but elephants, deer, rats, wild boars, birds and fish can also show the trait. Albinism is even rarer in wallabies, which belong to the kangaroo family: only one in 100,000 animals is affected.
That’s why the confirmation is only available now
But why has it only now been confirmed that Olaf is an albino? “Wallabies, like kangaroos and koalas, are born the size of beans and only look out of their mother’s pouch when they are around seven months old,” a spokesman for the park told the German Press Agency. They initially weigh less than a gram and are naked, deaf and blind.
“We are thrilled to welcome Olaf to the Symbio family,” the park cheered. «This little kangaroo is truly unique. It has already captured hearts with its rare beauty.” While the wallaby is safe in its enclosure, it would probably be lost in the wild: albino animals can hardly camouflage themselves and are usually easily visible to predators.
Parents must have certain genes
The hereditary disease is a pigmentation disorder. The affected animals are unable to produce the pigment melanin and therefore mostly remain white. To produce an albino, both parents must be carriers of the corresponding genes. Red eyes are typical because the iris is so permeable that the red retina behind it shows through. Albinos are also very sensitive to light.
Have you been following on Whatsapp for 20 minutes?
A news overview in the morning and at the end of the day, surprising stories and breaking news: Subscribe to the 20 Minutes WhatsApp channel and you will receive regular updates with our best stories directly to your cell phone.
