Rare spotless giraffe was born in a Tennessee zoo
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Brights Zoo in Tennessee announces the birth of the only living spotless giraffe on the planet.
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A reticulated giraffe was born without spots at Brights Zoo in northeastern Tennessee at the end of July. (AP)
Earlier last month, Brights Zoo located in northeastern Tennessee welcomed the birth of a female reticulated giraffe, and an exceptional occurrence marked her arrival — she lacked the distinctive spots that are commonly seen on giraffes, setting her apart as a rarity.
Giraffes, towering at heights of 14 to 15 feet, claim the title of Earth's tallest mammal. Upon birth, giraffe calves already stand at a remarkable 6 feet in height. They are typically adorned with brown spots from their hooves to their horns since birth. However, the Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee in the United States, made a noteworthy announcement: a reticulated giraffe without any spots was born on July 31.
The zoo conveyed to WJHL News, "Giraffe experts believe she is the only solid-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet."
David Bright, the zoo's director, revealed that the zoo's team had reached out to fellow zoo professionals across the nation to gauge the rarity of such an occurrence. Up till now, the only recorded instance of a reticulated giraffe being born without spots dates back to Japan in the 1970s.
Photographs of the newborn calf, standing next to her mother in stark contrast due to her lack of spots, can be viewed on the Brights Zoo's Facebook page.
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The zoo has put forth an invitation to the public to participate in naming the baby giraffe. Voting for one of four names is open on the zoo's Facebook page, with the deadline being Labor Day.
The provided Swahili names and their meanings are as follows: Kipekee, which translates to "unique"; Firali, conveying "unusual" or "extraordinary"; Shakiri, signifying "she is most beautiful"; and Jamella, embodying "one of great beauty."
Bright shared with WJHL that the zoo explored numerous names along with their meanings before settling on these four options for public voting. He added, "Those four are the four the family are all really attached to. So if she's named one of those four, we're very happy."
Votes will be counted, and the chosen name will be unveiled on September 4.
According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the population of reticulated giraffes in the wild is now estimated to be around 16,000, marking a decline of over 50% from the approximately 36,000 giraffes recorded 35 years ago. Across four species and nine subspecies, there are approximately 117,000 giraffes in total, many of which are classified as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.
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