adminRESEARCHERS recently caught a glimpse of a white giraffe named Omo in the Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park.
Wild Nature Institute researchers first spotted the unusual giraffe when she was a calf during a population survey in 2015, according to a statement from the organization.
“A local lodge guide christened her Omo, after a popular brand of detergent here,” the organization, which conducts scientific research, said in a blog post.
While Omo may appear to be an albino, she is actually leucistic, according to the organization.
“One way to tell the difference between albino and leucistic animals is that albino individuals lack melanin everywhere, including in the eyes, so the resulting eye color is red from the underlying blood vessels,” the organization said.
While researchers were pleased to see that Omo survived her first year, she has a long road ahead, according to ecologist and Wild Nature Institute founder Derek Lee, the Telegraph reported.
“She survived her first year as a small calf, which is the most dangerous time for a young giraffe due to lion, leopard and hyena preying on them,” Lee told the Telegraph.
Lee said Omo’s chances for reaching adulthood are good, but she may be at heightened risk of poaching because of her unique coloring, the Telegraph reported. — Online
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