The world’s only known white giraffe who lives in Kenya has been given a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) tracking device to protect him from poachers. Kenya had three white giraffes, but two were killed in March.
The last white male giraffe lives at the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy. He has leucism, a rare genetic trait that causes partial loss of pigmentation in animals.
A GPS device was placed on one of the horns of the giraffe. The tracker will give hourly updates, so wildlife park rangers can track his movements daily.
“We are thankful for the tremendous help from Kenya Wildlife Service, Save Giraffes Now and the Northern Rangelands Trust in furthering community efforts to safeguard wildlife species,” said Ahmed Noor, manager at the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy, is a statement.
“The giraffe’s grazing range has been blessed with good rains in the recent past, and the abundant vegetation bodes well for the future of the white male,” Noor said.
In March, the remains of two white giraffes, an adult female and her baby, were found in a Kenyan nature reserve. In 2017, they made headlines when they were first discovered. Their murder caused online outrage.
With his white color, the giraffe is an easy target for poachers, but rangers hope to keep the animal safe by following his steps.
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