Rare Albino Elephant Calf Spotted in National Park in South Africa
Have you ever seen an albino elephant? Honestly, I didn't even know they existed until I saw this video that was shared by ABC News on Thursday, February 29th. While it's definitely lighter than the other elephants, it really doesn't look all that different!
The baby elephant was spotted playing by a waterhole with two other calves in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. A lucky tour operator noticed the "pink" calf and was able to get 50 seconds or so of the calves being cared for by the herd as they played in the waterhole. Watch as the tiny gentle giants all have fun together!
I could watch baby elephants all day! These baby elephants playing in the water are absolutely adorable! And had I not been told that the baby was albino, I don't think I would have even noticed and probably would've guessed that he was just lighter than the others. ABC News commenter @Juice agreed, "Nah that’s a normal *ss elephant don’t let them play you."
Related: Rare Ghostly Albino Deer Spotted in Tennessee Forest
Facts About Albino Elephants
Another commenter asked, "Is he also blind?" According to Save the Elephants, "Albinism causes poor eyesight as mentioned before and it could eventually lead to blindness as the calf gets older." Luckily, elephants rely more on their sense of touch and smell so having poor eyesight does not hinder the baby elephant.
Albino elephants, also called 'white' elephants, are extremely rare, with only one in every 10,000 elephants born having it. The tour guide that captured the video is named Theo Potgieter, and he estimated the baby to a male calf around a year old. Potgieter told IFLScience, "Albinism in African elephants is by far more rare compared to Asian elephants." He also said that the calf may face many challenges as he gets older, "Not only does the harsh African sun and its glare affect them, but they are usually rejected by some or the majority of their family group." Although he pointed out that the calf seems to be accepted by the herd at this time.
While Potgieter was specifically speaking about this baby elephant, the same goes for member of other animal species as well. All of these animals have vision problems as well as other medical problems. They also have less UV protection which of course makes them more susceptible to sunburn and other skin issues, including skin cancer. They cannot use their coloring to camouflage the way other animals can, leaving them more vulnerable to predators.
While this calf is the first official white elephant I've ever seen, he's not the first albino animal we've reported on. Check out this albino deer that was spotted in a Tennessee forest and this albino alligator who lives at The Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley, California...the Georgia Aquarium has one, too!
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