Pulling Out All the Stops to Protect Rare African Giraffe

The only known white giraffe in the world has been fitted with a GPS tracking device in an effort to protect him from poachers in Kenya. The unique male giraffe now stands alone after a female and her calf were killed by poachers in March. The GPS tracking device, secured to one of the animal’s horns, will give hourly updates of his location, said the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy in a press release on Tuesday. Rangers will be able to monitor the giraffe’s movements in the conservancy located in Garissa County, eastern Kenya. The male giraffe has a rare genetic trait called leucism, which results in the partial loss of pigmentation in an animal and makes it easy to spot for poachers on the arid savannah. Unlike albinism, animals with leucism continue to produce a dark pigment in their soft tissue, meaning the giraffe’s eyes are dark. Visitors flocked to see the family of three, stretching for glimpses from behind the trees. Video of the giraffe posted to YouTube racked up more than one million views. They were featured by USA Today, The Guardian, Inside Edition, and National Geographic, among other outlets.

SOURCE: CNN