Poachers in Kenya kill 2 rare white Giraffes; social media abuzz with reactions

Image courtesy: Marc Napo/Ishaqbini-Hirola Community Conservancy

New Delhi: Poachers in Kenya have killed a white female giraffe and her 7-month-old calf, whose rare pigmentation mesmerized wildlife enthusiasts around the world, said a New York Times report. The poaching incident illustrates the challenges of conservation.

Mohammed Ahmednoor, the manager of the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy in northeastern Kenya, where the giraffes lived, said in a statement that rangers had confirmed their deaths and that there were photographs of the skeletal remains.

He was quoted as saying, “This is a very sad day for the community of Ijara and Kenya as a whole,” the manager of Ishaqbini Hirola, Mohammed Ahmednoor, said in a statement. “We are the only community in the world who are custodians of the white giraffe.”

“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,” Mohammed Ahmednoor added.

The Kenya Wildlife Service told NY Times that it was investigating the killings.

The latest killing highlighted the threats facing the animals, including poaching for their meat and hide, along with the loss of their habitat because of infrastructure development and land clearing for agriculture and firewood.

The female giraffe and her calf reportedly drew global attention when they were sighted grazing in 2017 by a villager in Kenya who was herding his animals near the Ishaqbini sanctuary.

Ahmednoor, the manager of Ishaqbini, lamented the likely impact of the white giraffes’ killing, and told NY Times that the animals were “a big boost to tourism in the area.”

“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,” he added.

Beyond Kenya, a white giraffe was also spotted in 2016 in Tanzania, at the Tarangire National Park.

Meanwhile, Twitterati erupted in anger on Wednesday as news of poachers killing Kenya`s only female white giraffe and her calf surfaced.

The Northern Rangelands Trust (@NRT_Kenya) shared the news on their Twitter handle along with a release. The caption reads, "SAD NEWS: @IshaqbiniHirola Community Conservancy, Garissa County loses two famous white giraffes to poachers."

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

The Kenya Wildlife Service also took to their Twitter and wrote, "We are investigating reports of the deaths of a white Giraffe and a calf in Ishaqbini Conservancy in Garissa County." "Our teams on the ground have seen bones believed to be those of the two giraffes. The bones are estimated to be four months old," it added.

As the news came out in the public domain, social media has been abuzz with reactions. A user wrote, "This is quite sad news indeed."

Another wrote, "I am heartbroken, that any human would do something so heartless and evil!!"

"This is beyond terrible. May the poachers and their families for 10 generations suffer a worse fate," a user remarked.

The white giraffe made headlines in 2017 after its discovery, with its unique white hide.