Is the White Giraffe Endangered?
White color phases of the world's tallest mammal, the giraffe, occur rarely. They do not, however, represent a distinct species or subspecies--let alone an endangered one.
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Color Phase
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Although there are a number of subspecies of giraffe--distinguished partly by different checkered patterns and hues of the hide--white animals are not unique types, but rather are undergoing an aberrant color phase.
Existence
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White giraffes have appeared in captivity and in the wild. Among many mammals--famously in big cats, for example--such phases occur occasionally.
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Tarangire White Giraffe
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In summer 2005, a Wildlife Conservation Society researcher, Charles Foley, photographed a white-phase giraffe in Tanzania's Tarangire National Park. The animal was frosty on its head, neck and body but had brownish legs. Therefore, it was not a true albino.
Population Status
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Giraffes typically favor open woodlands and savanna environments in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Giraffes, which today exist in scattered population of sub-Saharan Africa, are listed as a "least concern" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A 2008 assessment by the organization noted a population of perhaps 100,000, but said the number could be declining.
The West African Giraffe
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The International Union for Conservation of Nature has, however, listed one subspecies, the West African giraffe, as endangered. In a 2008 assessment, its population was below 200.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of tinyfroglet Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Doug Wheller
