Rare white giraffe spotted in Tanzania

This stunning giraffe is not the result of Photoshop, it is quite real! A handsome 15-month-old named Omo looks like his skin has been whitened. The first white giraffe in Tarangire National Park was noticed and photographed by ecologist Derek Lee, founder of the Wildlife Institute. According to him, the culprit of the white color is leucism, a rare mutation that leads to the absence of melanocyte cells in the skin (not to be confused with albinism, in which melanocyte cells cannot synthesize melanin).

4 PHOTOS

1. “Omo is the only white giraffe we know of,” says Dr. Derek Lee.

2. "Omo gets along well with other giraffes who don't seem to mind his unusual color."

3. "Adult giraffes are regularly attacked by poachers and Omo's rare skin color could make him a target."

4. “My colleagues and I are working to conserve the giraffe and advocate for the fight against poaching so that Omo has a better chance of survival.”

"We hope that he will live a long life and someday have his own offspring."