Researchers 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.
