Beautiful – and incredibly rare – white giraffe photographed in Kenya

It turns out Omo, a rare white giraffe that has been spotted in Tanzania, is not alone.

Another white giraffe, this one in Kenya, has been captured on film.

The photos were taken by Jamie Manuel Photography at Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy in Garissa County, Kenya.

Rare white giraffe spotted in Kenya/Jamie Manuel Photography
Rare white giraffe spotted in Kenya/Jamie Manuel Photography

The Northern Rangelands Trust explained that camel herders first noticed the unusual giraffe out grazing in February.

“The Somali Abdullah herders live their lives peacefully, few or none of them are involved in the conflict that hits the news in the regions further north. They live side by side with the wildlife and have a strong conservation ethic that has resulted in livestock and wildlife peacefully co-existing in Ishaqbini and its surrounds,” wrote Manuel, who helps train rangers in the conservancies.

A monitoring made the trek to see the animal and after days of searching found it: “a completely white adult reticulated giraffe browsing with a regular herd.”

Only one grainy photo was taken until late March, when Manuel joined the Ishaqbini rangers to find the “elusive giraffe.”

“We started in the area bordering the top end of the Boni Forest,” he said. “It is a vast expanse of thorny scrub and mbambakofi woodland. Word was sent out that we were on the trail of the white giraffe and slowly herders sent word back of the general area it had last been seen in.”

On the second day of searching, they saw 20 reticulated giraffe in a forest clearing. Among them, the white giraffe.

“The rangers were thrilled to get a closer look, and were pleased to see that the animal looked healthy and was feeding well,” the trust noted.

The white giraffe in Tanzania/Jamie Manuel Photography
The white giraffe in Tanzania/Jamie Manuel Photography

Tanzania and Kenya are side by side, so it is possible it’s the same giraffe is moving across the countryside, but they do look quite different. But likely have the same condition, leucism, which causes partial loss of pigmentation, according to the trust.

This is the animal photographed in Kenya.

Photographer Jamie Manuel captured images of a rare white giraffe in Kenya.
Photographer Jamie Manuel captured images of a rare white giraffe in Kenya.

And, this is Omo, which has been roaming around Tarangire National Park in neighbouring Tanzania.

Omo on Jan. 16, 2016/Wild Nature Institute
Omo on Jan. 16, 2016/Wild Nature Institute
Omo on Jan. 17, 2015/Wild Nature Instiute
Omo on Jan. 17, 2015/Wild Nature Institute

Photos Jamie Manuel Photography, Wild Nature Institute

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Recovering newspaper reporter.

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