A rare pink hippo has been spotted at a nature reserve in Kenya.
According to the Daily Mail, the animal’s pink skin is the result of leucism, a condition in which an animal’s pigmentation is not properly developed. It results in white, pale or patchy spots but does not affect the eyes, unlike albinism.
Leucism is the lack of multiple pigments, while albinism is only a lack of melanin.
In most cases, leucism can have a negative impact on an animal’s survival because it is more likely to stick out if it is being preyed upon, but hippos have a significant size advantage over most animals, experts say.
The French photographers who took the photo of the hippo, Laurent and Dominique Renaud, sought out the hippo to make sure its existence wasn’t a myth.
“To see it in real life was an absolutely life changing experience,” Mr. Renaud said to the Daily Mail.
Someone spotted a pink hippo in Kenya and it's just adorable https://t.co/S2pT4DKd7I pic.twitter.com/rNZH6jMBS6
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline)
