First albino buffalo spotted in Kenyan park

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A rare albino buffalo in Hellsgate National Park in Kenya on April 24. Rangers spotted the albino buffalo, the first of its kind ever recorded in the wildlife rich country, park officials said Friday.

Rangers in Kenya's Hellsgate National Park have spotted an albino buffalo, the first of its kind ever recorded in the wildlife rich country, park officials said Friday.

"This is the first time that an albino buffalo has been found in our parks and it's a great day for nature and animals lovers," said Nelly Palmeris, senior warden at Hellsgate.

The three-month-old calf, spotted within a large herd, has a very light brown coat, and is easily distinguished from other buffalos.

Its lighter colour will make it a more noticeable target for predators, park officials said.

The cultural stigma against albinos, both animal and human, among the Maasai pastoralists that live near the park could also create a threat.

"The African community and especially Maasais associate albinos with bad omens," Palmeris said. "We are just coming from a bad drought and the Maasai might associate the famine with this buffalo and kill it."

She added that rangers have enhanced security around the herd to ensure the Maasai do not attack the unique mammal.

The calf was not spotted for months after its birth because its herd was largely confined to obscure, shaded areas to mitigate against recent drought conditions.

While the rare sighting is a first for Kenya, albino buffaloes have been spotted in several other countries.

(c) 2009 AFP

   

• LuckyBrandon - Apr 24, 2009
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  Those maasais folks are eveidently still in the stone age...why not just wipe them off the map, they are obviously of no use to the human species as a whole...I imagine they're probably still hut dwelling too right....
  
  If this had happened in america, every tribe would be having a pow wow right now. I attended a pow wow with my family many years ago as a child for this exact reason, a white buffalo. The funny part is, it means a good omen over here.
  I should also add though, the albino buffalo I saw, from what I remember, was MUCH whiter than this one. At least in my memory anyways....
  Heres a good picture fitting my memory, a true white buffalo: http://www.google...alo2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.snydertexas.net/whitebuffalo.aspx&h=480&w=640&sz=64&tbnid=lwq-hbt65lN1pM::&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images?q=white+buffalo&hl=en&usg=__5ZRwLrkvqslG7uu3pIlNu0satTE=&ei=mGLySe3UHYG7mQfB_cWYDg&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image
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• Eky - Apr 28, 2009
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  What a vile comment luckybrandon!
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• LuckyBrandon - Apr 28, 2009
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  Oh I was kidding about that first comment. There was originally a line below that first paragraph that said "im totally just kidding"...unfortunately i lost it in copy and paste thanks to the dang 3 minute flood control on here.
  
  FOLKS THAT FIRST PARAGRAPH WAS JUST A JOKE THAT THE ANIMAL ACTIVISTS ARE PROBABLY THINKING. THIS IS NOT MY PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW. MY TRUE THOUGHT IS THAT THE ALBINO BUFFALO SHOULD BE BROUGHT OVER TO A RESERVATION IN AMERICA WHERE IT WILL BE APPRECIATED.
  PLEASE TAKE IT AS NOTHING MORE THAN BEING IN JEST....
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