It is amazing the way nature can change things. Sometimes the most unusual and fascinating things can happen even to elephants. Normally elephants are born with the dark grey skin pigmentation that is typical of their kind, but so far in the Amboseli population there have been two exceptions. The first was in the JB family; where the very beautiful Jemima had a calf, which was rather white in complextion and considered an albino. The male calf seems healthy and strong. The second was in the FA family; when 44-year-old Fenella also had a calf with albino pigmentation. I also hope that this calf survives. Both calves are still small enough to lay under their mother for shade from the glare of the African sun.

It is possible that both these calves (ironically both are males and both born to matriarchs) were fathered by the same bull, who carries the recessive gene. My hopes are that both these calves will survive and make it to adulthood. They will certainly be distinctive animals. Environmental conditions may challenge them, but hopefully they will do just fine.

Amboseli is a wonderful place with two surprises for the elephants which have happened no where else in other habitats. First was the birth of the first known ever wild elephant twins, born to the EA family on 5th June 1980 and now the first ever known wild albino elephants born there too.
More surprises may be on the way, and with the current baby boom continuing, with more calves arriving, Jemima and Fenella may not be the only proud mothers of 'rare' offspring for long!

Best regards
Elephant2011