Anish Vij
The 'rarest giraffe in the world' has been born in the US - without any spots.
Born on 31 July at Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, is a baby giraffe that stands at around six feet tall, with the average birth height of a female giraffe being about 1.8 metres (6 foot).
"A newborn giraffe will suckle its mother’s milk as soon as it can stand up – that’s why they need to be so tall at birth," the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) explains.
"Calves are reliant on their mother’s milk for up to 9-12 months. They start eating solid food (leaves) from about 4 months at which time they also start to ruminate."
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But what makes this giraffe stand out from the rest is that she is believed to be the only one of its kind on Earth, zoo officials said on Monday (21 August).
"The international coverage of our patternless baby giraffe has created a much-needed spotlight on giraffe conservation," the founder of Brights Zoo, Tony Bright said.
"Wild populations are silently slipping into extinction, with 40 percent of the wild giraffe population lost in just the last three decades."
The zoo have since made a special request to the public to help them name the baby giraffe, who is now available for viewing.
Brights Zoo have narrowed down to four names:
1) Kipekee - Unique
2) Firyali - Unusual or extradonary
3) Shakiri - She is most beautiful
4) Jamella - One of great beauty
Back in 2017, Brights Zoo received a bit of backlash from PETA and decided to halt the sale of one of its baby giraffes to a facility in Texas, which PETA claimed 'has ties to exotic animal-hunting ranches'.
At the time, the founder said that the Zoo 'have been attacked on a level unheard of' and 'because of this there's not a zoo out there willing to take on the burden of an animal with this type of following'.
Writing in a letter, PETA said: "I hope you agree that no giraffe should be subjected to a life of suffering, stress, and deprivation and will reach a decision to end breeding and stop transferring these intelligent and sensitive animals.
"With the closure of Ringling Bros. circus, the end of SeaWorld's orca-breeding program, and the National Aquarium's announcement of its plans to build the first-ever seaside dolphin sanctuary, it's never been clearer that the public doesn't support the use of animals for entertainment."
Bright then announced that plans were being made for a giraffe barn to house the animal and that Wildlife Partners would buy it a female companion within the next two years, which was estimated to cost about $150,000.
UNILAD has contacted Brights Zoo for further comment.