White giraffes killed in Kenya

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:00 pm

Rangers had found the remains of the female and her calf in a village in north-eastern Kenya’s Garissa County.

A third white giraffe is alive. It is thought to be the only remaining one in the world, the conservationists added.

News of the white giraffes spread across the world after they were photographed in 2017.

The manager of the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy, Mohammed Ahmednoor, said the two killed giraffes were last spotted more than three months ago.

“This is a very sad day for the community of Ijara and Kenya as a whole. We are the only community in the world who are custodians of the white giraffe,” Mr Ahmednoor said in a statement.

“Its killing is a blow to the tremendous steps taken by the community to conserve rare and unique species and a wake-up call for continued support to conservation efforts,” he added.

The poachers have not yet been identified, and their motive is still unclear.

The Kenya Wildlife Society, the main conservation body in the East African state, said it was investigating the killings.

(BBC)