The director of the Mohammed Ahmednoor reserve speaks of a “very sad day”, writes the BBC. “We are the only community in the world to be the guardians of these white giraffes.”
Not often seen
The special animals that owe their white skin to the disease leucism became photographed for the first time in 2017. According to Ahmednoor, the last time the giraffes were spotted in northeastern Kenya was three months ago.
“Killing the animals is a blow to the steps the community has taken to preserve rare and unique species,” continues Ahmednoor. “It is also a wake-up call for continued support for preserving these species.”
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Leucism and albinism
In both leucism and albinism, the skin turns white due to a defect in the pigment. Yet there are differences. Albinos have red eyes and an increased sensitivity to sunlight. Not leucistic people or animals.
Moreover, animals with leucism often live longer. It seems that animals with this deviation are more aggressive towards non-leucistic animals, and therefore have better chances of survival in the wild than albinos.
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The Ishaqbini Hirola reserve in Kenya is a huge, unfenced area, with several villages.
The poachers have not been found yet, and their motive is still unclear, according to the reserve. The Kenya Wildlife Society is investigating the matter.
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