Kenya's only female white giraffe killed by poachers

In a shocking turn of events, Kenya's only white female giraffe and her calf have been killed by poachers. The two bodies of the giraffes were found by locals in a skeletal state after being killed by armed poachers in Garissa in eastern Kenya, the Hirola Community Conservancy said in a statement on Tuesday. The conservancy added that their deaths leave just one remaining white giraffe alive. The poachers have not yet been identified by authorities. Animal rights activists had last spotted the mother and calf about a month ago.

The white giraffe was discovered in 2017 by the Hirola Conservation Program. The conservancy explained the rare animals had a condition called leucism, resulting in the partial loss of the giraffes' pigmentation. The last remaining white giraffe is a lone male, born to the same slaughtered female, the conservancy added."We are the only community in the world who are custodians of the white giraffe," said Mohammed Ahmednoor, manager of the conservancy."The killing is a blow to tremendous steps taken by the community to conserve rare and unique species, and a wakeup call for continued support to conservation efforts."

We mourn the loss of Kenya's rare white giraffes.#PressReleasepic.twitter.com/Cu3PjQisqy

— Hirola Conservation (@hirola_program) March 10, 2020