Giraffe Calf Without Spots Born In US Zoo, Believed To Be The Only One In World

One of the rarest sights in the animal kingdom has appeared at Brights Zoo in Tennessee, which has hosted the birth of a spotless giraffe. This is believed to be the only one of her kind, according to the New York Post. The calf was born on July 31 and is yet to be named, the outlet quoted zoo officials as saying. The female giraffe is a uniform brown colour and lacks the distinctive patches patterns that giraffes are known for.

"Giraffe experts believe she is the only solid-coloured reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet," Bright's Zoo said in a statement.

The Post said the calf is the only one that is fully brown as opposed to fully white.

The baby giraffe currently stands at six-feet tall and is "thriving" under the care of her mother, who has been pictured watching over her miraculous baby.

The calf is a reticulated giraffe, an endangered species that was added to The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List in 2018, said USA Today.

"The international coverage of our patternless baby giraffe has created a much-needed spotlight on giraffe conservation. Wild populations are silently slipping into extinction, with 40% of the wild giraffe population lost in just the last three decades," Tony Bright, the founder of Brights Zoo, said in a press release.

The reticulated giraffe is native to the Eastern African savannah and is an herbivore, according to the St Louis Zoo.

Females of the species can reach 17 feet in height and weigh up to 2,600 pounds (1,179 kg).