After not seeing the white-necked deer family for a long time, the reserve reported to the Kenya Wildlife Service to search. When they discovered the skeletons of a mother and her baby deer, they estimated they had been killed at least four months ago, and the culprits were likely poachers.
“This is a very sad day for the community in Ijara town in particular and Kenya in general. We were the only community in the world that still kept white giraffes” – Mr. Mohammed Ahmednoor, conservation area manager in Garissa county, said.
The Kenya Wildlife Service is investigating the incident and determining the condition of the remaining deer.
Mother and baby white giraffe. Photo: Hirola Animal Conservation Program
The first pair of white giraffes was discovered in 2017. After that, they gave birth to a baby deer. This family of three deer lives freely in the reserve and is of interest to tourists around the world.
Two beautiful white giraffes found on March 10 were just skeletons.
Footage of white giraffes posted to YouTube has attracted more than a million views. They are featured by many news agencies such as USA Today, The Guardian, Inside Edition and National Geographic.
These deer have a unique white color due to leucism syndrome, which is a genetic pigment deficiency that causes the giraffe’s skin cells to be unable to produce pigment. That results in their white, pale, or patchy skin color.
Unlike albinos, animals with leucism continue to produce dark pigment in their soft tissues, meaning the giraffe’s eyes remain dark.
