Current:Home > ScamsSpotless giraffe seen in Namibia, weeks after one born at Tennessee zoo -Aspire Money Growth
Spotless giraffe seen in Namibia, weeks after one born at Tennessee zoo
View
Date:2025-04-18 10:56:47
A rare spotless giraffe was spotted in the wild mere weeks after one was born at a Tennessee zoo, a conservation organization announced in a press release Monday.
The Angolan giraffe was photographed on a private game reserve in central Namibia, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
In July, a spotless giraffe was born at Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, in what David Bright, the zoo's director, told "Good Morning America" was "definitely a shock."
MORE: American caver hoisted to safety after 12 days in Turkish cave
Following a naming contest, where the zoo asked the public to name the giraffe, the animal was named Kipekee, which means "unique" in Swahili. Bright said Kipekee is "doing well and growing."
"This is our first one without a pattern," said Bright, who has been the director at the private, family-run zoo for the last two decades.
A reticulated giraffe's spotted pattern typically develops in the womb, so giraffes are usually born with their spots clearly visible, according to Bright.
Giraffes are facing a "silent extinction," the Giraffe Conservation Foundation said in a press release, saying there are only 117,000 wild giraffes in Africa.
MORE: Rare giraffe born without spots gets 'unique' name
"That means that there is only one giraffe for every four African [elephants] remaining in the wild. [Giraffes] have already become extinct in at least seven African countries," the conservation organization said. "And, to make matters even worse for these iconic animals, we now know that there are four distinct species of giraffe in Africa."
Before the spotless giraffe in Namibia and at the zoo in Tennessee, the last recorded brown spotless giraffe was at a zoo in Japan in 1972, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Every Time Mila Kunis Said Something Relatable AF About Motherhood
- How a law associated with mobsters could be central in possible charges against Trump
- Don’t expect quick fixes in ‘red-teaming’ of AI models. Security was an afterthought
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- MLB power rankings: Every American League division is up for grabs
- Ivy League football coaches praise conference’s stability (and wish they weren’t so alone)
- Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin takes the field in first NFL game since cardiac arrest
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- 'Sound of Freedom' director Alejandro Monteverde addresses controversies: 'Breaks my heart'
Ranking
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- How to get rid of pimples: Acne affects many people. Here's what to do about it.
- Biden administration urges colleges to pursue racial diversity without affirmative action
- James McBride's 'Heaven & Earth' is an all-American mix of prejudice and hope
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Derek Carr throws a TD pass in his Saints debut, a 26-24 preseason win over the Chiefs
- How — and when — is best to donate to those affected by the Maui wildfires?
- 76ers shut down James Harden trade talks, determined to bring him back, per report
Recommendation
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
Jason Cantrell, husband of New Orleans mayor, dead at 55, city announces
Niger’s coup leaders say they will prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for ‘high treason’
Video shows ‘mob’ steal up to $100,000 worth of items at Nordstrom in Los Angeles: Police
From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
How — and when — is best to donate to those affected by the Maui wildfires?
Tributes pour in for California hiker who fell to her death in Grand Teton National Park
Michael Oher, Subject of Blind Side, Says Tuohy Family Earned Millions After Lying About Adoption