Kenya’s last and rare white female giraffe is and its calf are no more, thanks to poachers who slaughtered them at the in Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy in Garissa.
The white female giraffe and her calf from reports may have been slaughtered a while ago as only rotting carcasses were found by the authorities at the time of discovery.
Mohammed Ahmednoor, the conservancy manager in a statement on Tuesday said that ranger and community members confirmed the death of the white female giraffe.
“This is a very sad day for the community of Ijara and Kenya as a whole. We are the only community in the world who are custodians of the white giraffe. Its killing is a blow to the tremendous steps taken by the community to conserve rare and unique species and a wakeup call for continued support to conservation efforts,” he stated.
He added that the death of the white female giraffe and her calf were as a big blow to Kenya.
“This is a long term loss given that genetics studies and research which were significant investment into the area by researchers, has now gone to the drain. Further to this, the white giraffe was a big boost to tourism in the area,” he said.
He added that “After this incident, only a lone bull remains.”
The white female giraffe hit global headlines in 2017 over its unique skin which catapulted Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy to fame in the global world of tourism.
The white skin is as a result of a condition known as leucism – similar to albinism in humans.
