Omo, The First White Giraffe That Is Not Albino

Giraffes… They are lovely animals. Not long ago I had the opportunity to see them up close and I was even able to feed them. As I did not know the species very well, I was a bit reluctant to get too close but I soon discovered that they are peaceful and very affectionate, as well as very gentle in their movements. But today the interest is focused on a white giraffe that is not albino.

That’s when I understood why survival in the jungle is so difficult for them. They are confident and calm, so they become easy prey.

Today we want to tell you about a very special giraffe, Omo, a white giraffe but not an albino.

Omo, an albino white giraffe?

Omo was first seen by researchers in Tanzania, specifically in the Tarangire National Park.

They all thought they had made a unique discovery: an albino giraffe. They were totally convinced of it, and even watched her for several days to find a different behavior.

They even said that he did not relate to the other giraffes and that he always fled when they arrived. But really Omo is not a special species (worth the redundancy) nor is it isolated from its companions.

He’s just a baby. It is one year old and it was already born of this color. It has a whitish color in which its characteristic giraffe spots are barely distinguishable. Its crest that falls all over its neck is an intense fiery color, but it is as or more beautiful than any other giraffe you can see.

But if it is not an albino giraffe, what is it then?

Omo is not an albino giraffe

It is just a white giraffe, different and special. Why is it white? Its color has to do with leucism, its skin has been unable to produce the pigment that would color it.

This has nothing to do with albinism, since albino animals lack melanin, which is the substance that colors the skin and other parts of our body. But the difference is that the lack of melanin is also reflected in the eyes, revealing even the smallest vein.

However, leucism, as in the case of Omo, only affects his skin, so we can say that Omo is simply a white giraffe.

Leucism has been diagnosed in other animals before such as buffalo and ostriches, but Omo is the first giraffe to suffer from this.

How can its color affect Omo?

Fortunately, this special color that Omo has on his skin does not affect his health at all, but it is possible that it does affect his survival.

And it is that the natural color that giraffes have in their skin with golden and chocolate tones are a good camouflage suit in their natural habitat.

Omo was born last year and although he has survived the first year, which is the most difficult, since small giraffes are a delicacy for many predators, Omo has not yet left the herd into the jungle, into the real world, and it is possible that its color makes it an easy prey for not being able to camouflage itself naturally as its companions.

Where does your name come from?

This is a funny anecdote as this name was given by one of the local park guides in Tanzania for a famous brand of bleaching detergent named in the same way. Fun and down to earth.

We hope that Omo is a fighter who knows how to always be close to her pack and that predators do not find her. It is not yet known if leucism is hereditary, but if it is, we could soon have a new species of white giraffe.

I have always liked the different, the authentic and the special and without a doubt, Omo is. We wish him the best.

Photos courtesy of Pinterest.com