According to National Geographic, the remains of two white giraffes were found in a nature conservancy in northeastern Kenya. The giraffes likely had a rare genetic condition called leucism, which inhibits skin cells from producing pigment. It is believed that they were killed by poachers.
The animals had been well-known since 2017, after rangers spotted them in the conservancy and posted a video to YouTube, which then went viral.
This highlights a modern-day paradox: social media allows people to experience the joy and wonder of the planet’s rarest creatures while simultaneously putting animals at increased risk. Rarity and exclusivity are among the driving factors of the illegal wildlife trade, so unusual animals are more likely to be targeted by poachers.
National Geographic concluded that navigating how to report on unique animals without helping to put a target on their backs is a delicate process.
Poaching is illegal in Kenya but the trade is so lucrative that poachers are willing to go to great lengths to catch their bounty.