A three-week-old giraffe in Tennessee, USA is already gaining attention for its distinctive features — or rather, lack thereof: it doesn’t possess the typical spots usually seen on giraffes.
According to AFP News, this unique giraffe was born on July 31 and now stands six feet tall.
Brights Zoo director David Bright described the giraffe as ‘very rare’, and that the female is ‘a beautiful solid brown’ without any of the species’ distinctive patterns which help to camouflage it in the wild.
In a statement, Bright noted that she “is thriving under the care of her attentive mother and the zoo’s expert staff,” adding that he hoped the media attention would help bring awareness to the threats facing wild reticulated giraffes.
Meanwhile, Tony Bright, the zoo’s founder, said that “wild populations are silently slipping into extinction, with 40 percent of the wild giraffe population lost in just the last three decades.”
Moreover, he highlighted that this is the first known giraffe born without any spots since 1972 in Japan.
As of writing, the zoo has not yet decided on a name for the baby giraffe. They have compiled list of name suggestions on their Facebook page for voting, and the chosen name will be announced on September 4.
Brights Zoo has urged its followers to participate in the conservation effort for wild giraffes by visiting the page Save Giraffes Now.
“The more of us that support these organizations that do work in the wild the better. We want to ensure that future generations get the opportunity to see these wonderful animals in the future,” it said.
