Two of the rarest giraffes on the planet have been found dead at a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya after they were killed by poachers. The remains of two white giraffes—a mother and her seven-month old calf—were discovered "in a skeletal state," the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy confirmed. Due to how rare the white giraffe is, the news has been met with upset and disgust.
"This is a very sad day for the community of Ijara and Kenya as a whole," said the conservancy's manager Mohammed Ahmednoor. "We are the only community in the world who are custodians of the white giraffe. Its killing is a blow to tremendous steps taken by the community to conserve rare and unique species, and a wakeup call for continued support to conservation efforts." The two giraffes got their distinctive color from a condition called leucism, and there is only one known white giraffe left.
As the New York Times reports, it is estimated that the number of reticulated giraffes in the world has declined by over 50 percent over the past 30 years. "This is a long-term loss given that genetics studies and research which were significant investment into the area by researchers has now gone down the drain," added Ahmednoor.
See what Twitter had to say about the heartbreaking news below.
