Rare Albinos Appearing

[Gerard Zwaan]

The White buffalo is an American bison (American buffalo) that is considered to

be sacred signs in several Native American religions,   

An albino snail?

Rare Albino Snail Discovered in New Zealand

New Zealand Department of Conservation

[Scott]

Albino echidna caught on camera in Tasmania, Australia (October 24, 2017)

Australian photographer Rosalind Wharton captured this albino echidna on film when she and her family were exploring Wineglass Bay in Tasmania's Freycinet National Park.

These tiny egg-laying mammals are normally covered in dark spines, but Wharton says this one had pale blue eyes framed by pink skin and white lashes. In addition to its snowy coat, its claws were also white. University of Tasmania biologist Stewart Nicol talked with Wharton about her find. Although he has never seen an albino echidna, Nicol verified that the animal is, in fact, albino.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaBap-RhzA4/

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/10/albino-echidna-video-ta...

[Scott]

Red-whiskered bulbul with albinism spotted [Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India] (November 15, 2017)

A Red-whiskered bulbul with albinism was spotted in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve here recently.

R. Divya Barathi of Gobichettipalayam, who is pursuing her final year M.A. English at PSGR Krishnammal College for Women in Coimbatore, spotted the bird.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/red-whiskered-bulbul...

[Scott]

Albino hedgehog rescued from the brink of death in Milton Keynes [United Kingdom] (October 4, 2017)

Dave the albino hedgehog was found by a member of the public during the daytime in August.

“Hedgehogs are nocturnal and only come out during the day when they are very ill indeed. Dave had serious lungworm and would have died without treatment,” said Faye.

After worming treatment and a diet of cat food, biscuits, beetles and mealworms, Dave put on weight and was ready to be released into the wild.

http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/video-super-rare-albino-hedgehog...

[Scott]

Meet this albino owl (September 30, 2017)

This albino Saw-whet owl, Tikka, was born without eyes and is now under the care of the good folks at Orphaned WildLife Rehabilitation Society [in Delta, British Columbia].

O.W.L. is a non-profit who rescue, rehabilitate and release injured and orphaned raptors – owls, eagles, hawks and falcons. 

http://vancouverisawesome.com/2017/09/30/meet-this-albino-owl-who-h...

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZNUUNunUMD/

http://www.btvancouver.ca/videos/meet-tikka-harley/

[Scott]

A birdwatcher was delighted to find an albino hummingbird at one of her family’s feeders in Amagansett [New York] earlier this month (September 21, 2017)

The hummingbird was normal in every other respect — size, flight pattern, etc. — but pure white with red eyes and a pink bill, the characteristics of true albinism. Alexandra and her mother watched the white hummingbird for several hours as it came and went frequently to feed. Alexandra went so far as to put a feeder in her hand as she sat motionless, letting the bird feed a few inches from her.

It is the time for hummingbirds to migrate south. Some go all the way to Central America. The white hummingbird hung around for several days, but then disappeared.

http://easthamptonstar.com/Lead-article/2017921/Nature-Notes-Rare-W...

[Scott]

Rare albino groundhog spotted on campus (September 17, 2017)

A rare albino groundhog has been spotted on Poe Field [New Jersey] near the softball diamond. The animal was sighted eating grass on the field before running beneath a shed.

Little is known about the frequency of albinism in groundhogs, but the condition is rare in any species — in North America, it occurs once in every 20,000 human births.

http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2017/09/albino-groundhog-s...

[Scott]

Albino wombat spotted (September 10, 2017)

A rare albino wombat has recently been spotted on consecutive days in Canunda National Park [Australia].

The lucky finder was Southend resident Corinne Tedham, who was four-wheel-driving in the park with her husband Bruce, who is a retired lobster fisherman.

It is a popular pastime for the couple and they often see wombats, but never before one with a white appearance.

Ms Tedham approached the wombat and took some photographs before it ran off into the scrub.

https://borderwatch.com.au/2017/09/albino-wombat-spotted/

[Derrick Johnson]

Rare WHITE giraffes are spotted in Kenya and captured on video for the first time

• Pair of white giraffes, a mother and child, suffer from a condition called leucism
• Footage of the giraffes was filmed in the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservacy in Kenya
• Only two sightings of similar animals have been made in Kenya and Tanzania

A pair of rare white giraffes, a mother and child, have been spotted in Kenya and captured on video for the first time.

The unique giraffes suffer from a genetic condition called leucism, which prevents pigmentation in skin cells and results in a white, pale colour.

Unlike albinism where there is only an absence of melanin, leucism is a condition that is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment. 

+10

Rumours had circulated of a white giraffe and her baby in the local area of the Ishaqbini conservation but it wasn't until recently that rangers finally got to see them 

 

The footage of the distinctive giraffes was filmed in the Ishaqbini Hirola Conservacy in Kenya's Garissa county by conservationists after locals tipped them off.

Earlier this year in June, Hirola Conservation Programme (HCP) said in a blog post that the giraffes were first reported by a local villager.

'They were so close and extremely calm and seemed not disturbed by our presence.' 

 'The mother kept pacing back and forth a few yards in front of us while signalling the baby giraffe to hide behind the bushes.'

According to HCP, other than the video, only two known sightings have been made in Kenya and Tanzania. The very first report of a white giraffe in the wild was in January 2016 in Tarangire National park, Tanzania and the second in March 2016 in Ishaqbini conservancy, Garissa county, Kenya.

It is thought that it is the first time anyone has captured video footage of the rare sighting. 

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4883158/White-giraffes-spot...

[SongStar101]

Rare white giraffes spotted in Kenya conservation area

A pair of giraffes with leucism, a condition that inhibits pigmentation in skin cells, have been filmed by conservationists for the first time

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/14/rare-white-gira...

A pair of rare white giraffes have been spotted in Kenya, to the delight of local residents and conservationists.

The reticulated giraffes, a mother and child, suffer from a genetic condition called leucism, which inhibits pigmentation in skin cells. Unlike albinism, animals with leucism continue to produce dark pigment in their soft tissue, which explains the white giraffes’ dark eyes and other colouring.

[Derrick Johnson]

Swedish explorer captures extremely rare white moose on camera after three years of searching for the elusive animal

• White moose was filmed wading into a deep stream before exiting the other side
• Only 100 white moose live in Sweden and the video is going viral 
• The explorer Hans Nilsson looked for the animal for three years 

A video showing an extremely rare white moose in Sweden has captured the world's interest.

Explorer Hans Nilsson spotted the animal after searching for a glimpse of one for three years.

He saw the moose on the banks of a stream in Värmland, Sweden. The video he posted online has been viewed more than a million times on Facebook.

Rare white moose heads into the water in western Sweden. There are only 100 in the country

The video shows the moose entering the stream. The water goes up to its neck before it climbs out the other side and shakes its entire body.

The moose then starts eating leaves before turning and staring directly at the photographer.

'It was a great feeling when you see such a unique animal that is not at all concerned with people,' he told a Swedish radio station. 'It is a stately moose.'

There are only 100 white moose in the country, compared to over 400,000 of the common brown moose. 

The animals aren't supposed to be white, but the rare color comes from a genetic mutation. They are not albino. 

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4790376/White-moose-spotted...