The only spotless giraffe calf in the world is in need of a name

An extremely rare spotless* giraffe has been born in a US zoo.

The adorable calf* came into the world on July 31 at the Tennessee’s Brights Zoo in the US, to the shock of her carers.

Instead of the usual distinctive* brown-spotted pattern the animal is known for, the baby giraffe is instead rocking an all-brown coat, with some cream colouring on its underside.

In a statement, the zoo said they believed the youngster to be the only living giraffe in the world to be born without her spots.

Giraffe experts agree she is likely the only solid-coloured reticulated giraffe* living anywhere on the planet.

The last known record of a spotless giraffe dates back to 1972 in Tokyo, after the animal was born at the Ueno Zoo and named Toshiko.

Executive director* of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), Stephanie Fennessy, said the group had “never seen a similar giraffe in the wild in Africa”.

The female calf is already nearly 2m tall at around 183cm and is thriving under the care of her mother and zoo staff.

A giraffe’s pattern is believed to serve as a form of camouflage* in the wild, with the skin under the spots also having a system of blood vessels that provide thermal regulation*.

Tony Bright, the zoo’s founder*, said the newborn’s popularity is helping raise awareness about the species.

“The international coverage of our patternless baby giraffe has created a much-needed spotlight on giraffe conservation*,” he said in a statement.

“Wild populations are silently slipping into extinction*, with 40 per cent of the wild giraffe population lost in just the last three decades.”

Along with chances to see the spotless giraffe, the zoo is asking for the public’s help in naming the newcomer.

The short-listed* options are Kipekee, which means “unique” in Swahili; Firayali, which means unusual; Shakiri, which means “she is most beautiful”; and Jamella, which is “one of great beauty”.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• spotless: completely clean or without any spots or marks
• calf: a young animal, especially of a large mammal like a giraffe
• distinctive: unique or easy to recognise because of special qualities
• reticulated giraffe: a specific subspecies of giraffe known for its net-like pattern
• executive director: a person in a high-level leadership role, often responsible for making important decisions
• conservation: the protection and preservation of nature and wildlife
• camouflage: the use of colours or patterns to hide or blend into the surroundings
• thermal regulation: the control of body temperature to maintain a comfortable level
• founder: the person who establishes or creates something, like a zoo in this case
• extinction: the state of a species no longer existing on Earth
• short-listed: a narrowed-down list of options
• Swahili: a language spoken in East Africa, including in countries like Kenya and Tanzania
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QUICK QUIZ

1. What is unique about the giraffe that was born in the Brights Zoo in the US?
2. How is the appearance of the new giraffe calf different from the typical giraffe pattern?
3. Why is the giraffe calf’s birth considered significant according to the zoo?
4. What role does a giraffe’s pattern serve in the wild, and what’s special about the skin under the spots?
5. What is the goal behind the zoo asking for the public’s help in naming the new giraffe?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. The giraffe who lost its spots
Create an eight-column comic strip containing the narrative of how this giraffe calf lost its spots.

Make it an amusing and entertaining comic to read as an audience.

The narrative of the text should be in speech bubbles, like comics, and contain the problem and resolution to the story of the spotless giraffe (does not need to be factual, can be as silly as you like!).

Illustrate your comic and share with a classmate or another class.

Time: allow 45 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
What health or lifestyle implications might a giraffe born with no spots encounter? Some hints were given in the Kids News article.

Do you think this baby giraffe will be treated differently by the other giraffes? Explain why or why not.

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Punctuation thief
Pick a paragraph from the article, or about 3 sentences together if that’s easier, and rewrite it without the punctuation. At the bottom of the page write a list of all the punctuation you stole and in the order you stole it. For example; C , . C .

Then swap your book with another person and see if they can work out where the punctuation needs to go back to.

Make it easier: Underline where you stole the punctuation from but don’t put the list at the bottom in order.

Make it harder:
Don’t put the punctuation in order at the bottom.

Underline where you took the punctuation from, but don’t tell them what pieces you took.

Just tell them how many pieces you took, but not what they are.

Don’t give them any clues!