Two incredible events have recently taken place on the African continent – the discovery of spotless giraffe calves. After reporting last month about a giraffe in an American zoo that was born without the characteristic spots, we are now witnessing another discovery of a spotless giraffe, this time in the wild.

First record of a spotless giraffe in the wild

The unique discovery was made at the Mount Etjo Safari Lodge in central Namibia. Guide Eckart Demasius captured and photographed the brown giraffe carcasses during a tour of the reserve. He then shared the photos with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

Sara Ferguson, a veterinarian and wildlife conservation coordinator at the association, says that these two recent cases of spotless giraffes are pure coincidence and there is no data to suggest that this phenomenon is more common than we thought. “It’s just another example of how the world works and how much we’re still discovering about giraffes,” says Ferguson.

Genetic anomalies

A giraffe born without spots at Brights Zoo in Tennessee has been named Kipekee, which means “unique” in Swahili. The most recent sighting of a spotless giraffe was in another species of giraffe found in southern Africa, the Angolan giraffe.

According to scientists, including Sarah Ferguson, it is likely that the giraffe’s spotty color is the result of one or more genetic mutations that have not yet been identified. Spots on giraffes are passed down from mother to calf, as confirmed by a 2018 study published in the journal PeerJ. It has also been found that larger and rounder spots are associated with higher survival rates in young giraffes, but the exact reason for this phenomenon remains unclear. Derek Lee, a professor of biology at Penn State University and co-author of the PeerJ study, says that technically these last two examples are not spotty animals, but “monospotted giraffes.” It is impossible to say how much impact this genetic anomaly has on the animal’s health, but there is no evidence that the animals’ color is life-threatening. “We only have one case here, so time will tell what happens,” Lee adds.

The discovery of spotless giraffes in the wild is rare and fascinating. These cases remind us that the natural world is full of mysteries and there is still much to discover and understand. Experts will continue to research these genetic anomalies and their impact on the animals' lives.

If we can ensure protection and a sustainable habitat for giraffes, we will have the opportunity to see more interesting discoveries and stories from the beautiful world of these majestic animals.