The first ever spotless giraffe calf in the wild was discovered in Namibia this week.
The Giraffe Conservation Foundation said in a statement, that she was spotted at the Mount Etjo Safari Lodge, in Namibia.
Julian Fennessy, of the Foundation, said in a statement that “the lack of spots could be caused by genetic mutations or recessive genotype in one or more genes related to the pattern, but without detailed genetic analysis, these are mere speculations.”
Namibia has a recorded 12,000 Angolan giraffes, also known as the Namibian or Smokey giraffe. About 6,500 are in private reserves, 2000 on communal land and the remainder in National Parks, according to the Giraffe Foundation.
Namibia and South Africa have the largest populations in Africa. According to Furtherafrica, a study conducted indicates about 70% of the giraffe populations thrive in privately owned areas. In Namibia, these areas are made up of dry savanna, grasslands and scrubland.
In July this year, another spotless calf, made headlines in Tennessee, because the last one born was back in 2012, in Tokyo.
Eckart Demasius took this picture.