Spotless giraffe, thought to be only one in the world, born at US zoo
A rare spotless giraffe has been born at a zoo in Tennessee and is believed to be the only one in the world.
The female was born at Brights Zoo, and has a coat of brown fur - lacking the distinctive spots giraffes are famous for.
She is currently 6 feet tall, and zoo staff believe she is one of a kind, with the phenomenon being an incredibly rare occurrence for giraffes in captivity, and in the wild.
Spots are used by giraffes to camouflage themselves in the wild. A series of veins on their skin also means the spots can help with heat regulation.
Normally, giraffes inherit a unique set of spots from their mothers - which makes the birth of this animal incredibly unique.
The zoo hopes the baby animal can help raise awareness for challenges faced by giraffes in the wild, including illegal poaching and habitat destruction.
“The international coverage of our patternless baby giraffe has created a much-needed spotlight on giraffe conservation,” the founder of Brights Zoo, Tony Bright, told local television news station WCYB.
“Wild populations are silently slipping into extinction, with 40% of the wild giraffe population lost in just the last three decades.”
The zoo is holding a public contest to name the baby giraffe.
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