A girl giraffe was born at a zoo in Tennessee. She is different because she doesn’t have the usual spots on her body like other giraffes. Instead, she has a plain brown coat. This is very rare and hasn’t happened for over 50 years. The zoo where she was born is called Bright’s Zoo. It’s a family-owned zoo in Limestone, Tennessee. The last time a giraffe without spots was seen was in a zoo in Tokyo in 1972.
The baby giraffe with a unique lack of spots is intriguing to experts. According to Sara Ferguson, a wildlife veterinarian, this kind of coloring has never been seen in the wild. The giraffe’s unusual appearance is likely due to a genetic mutation, but it doesn’t seem to have any negative impact on its health. The mother giraffe has spotted calves before, making this one’s appearance surprising.
In some cases, genetics affect animal colors in various ways. There have been all-white giraffes in the wild, caused by a condition called leucism, which prevents skin cells from producing color. This Tennessee giraffe’s lack of spots is probably due to a genetic mutation, as per Fred Bercovitch, a conservation biologist.
The last known spotless giraffe was born in 1972 in Japan. The Brights Zoo, where this unique giraffe was born, asked the public to choose a name for her, receiving a large number of votes. The potential names are all in Swahili.
Researchers have found that certain aspects of giraffe spots are passed from mother to calf. However, the reasons behind these spot characteristics and their impact on survival are not entirely understood. Despite lacking spots, the health of this giraffe wouldn’t necessarily be a concern, as fur, not color, primarily helps animals regulate temperature.
The absence of spots wouldn’t necessarily harm the giraffe’s survival chances, even in the wild, where it lacks camouflage. Young giraffes are already at risk from lion predators. The experts are interested in studying this giraffe further, possibly using special photography to see if the spot pattern is still there but not visible to our eyes.