By Tim Binnall
What is believed to be the world's last remaining white giraffe has been outfitted with a GPS tracking device in order to protect the incredibly rare creature from poachers. The wondrous animal, which owes its unique appearance to the genetic trait known as lucism, reportedly resides on the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy in Kenya. Once one of three such white giraffes living at the location, the lone male is all that is left after poachers thoughtlessly killed the other two creatures earlier this year.
In response to that tragic event and realizing the animal's significance as perhaps the last of its kind, wildlife officials in Kenya equipped the white giraffe with a special GPS tracker. Attached to one of the creature's horns, the device provides park rangers with hourly updates on where the animal is located so that they can be sure it is safe. Whether or not the genetic trait will appear in any future giraffes or if other white versions of the animal are roaming in the wild is uncertain, making the protection of this particular creature of paramount importance.