Rare Brown Spotless Giraffe Spotted in a Tennessee Zoo

The world around us surely is evolving quicker than we think. Get ready to be wild about the truly unique! In a zoo in Tennessee, a quirky twist on the classic giraffe has made its debut. It is the ‘Rare Brown Spotless Giraffe’ and we’re here to spill the spots (or rather, the lack of them) on this animal!

The Rare Brown Spotless Giraffe

A giraffe without patches was born on July 31 at Bright’s Zoo, making her public debut this month. This 6-foot-tall wonder is a reticulated giraffe, and she might be the only solid-colored one on Earth. Reticulated giraffes typically have polygonal brown spots that serve as camouflage in their natural habitat in northern Kenya. Each spot conceals a complex system of blood vessels.

This unique calf has drawn attention to giraffe conservation, as there are only about 16,000 reticulated giraffes left in the wild, a significant decline from 36,000 in the past few decades. Bright’s Zoo sees her as a symbol for the cause.

The calf is thriving under the care of her mother and zoo staff, and her name will be determined by a fan vote. One of the options is Kipekee, which means “unique” in Swahili, a fitting choice for this exceptionally rare baby giraffe.

How Rare Is This Giraffe?

The zoo’s director, David Bright, has been contacting zoo experts nationwide to determine the rarity of the spotless giraffe. According to zoo records, the only known case of a reticulated giraffe being born without spots was in Japan in the 1970s.

The number of spotless giraffes, however, is consistently declining. The number of reticulated giraffes in the wild has declined to an estimated 16,000. This is a significant drop from 35 years ago when the number was 36,000.

This decline is part of a larger concern, as approximately 117,000 giraffes are encompassing four species and nine subspecies, with many of them categorized as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered.

What Is the Name of the Rare Giraffe?

Brights Zoo has posted photos of the calf, standing alongside her mother and noticeably lacking spots, on their Facebook page. The zoo is inviting the public to participate in naming the newborn by voting for one of four names on the zoo’s Facebook page before Labor Day.

The options are:

• Kipekee (Unique)
• Firali (Extraordinary)
• Shakiri (The most beautiful)
• Jamella (Great beauty)

Voting will end on September 4th, 2023 on the Zoo’s official Facebook page.

Now that you have met this fun and interesting creature from the heart of Tennessee, we would love to hear what you think! Did this spotless wonder steal your heart? Have a unique name suggestion? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.