Rare Baby Albino Elephant Captured on Camera in South African Wildlife Park

The rare sighting took place at the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Immediately, Coertze knew this was an exceptional sighting. He has been visiting the park since he was a child and spends around 30 days a year there and still, he’d never seen anything like this before.

Coertze was on safari with his family when he spotted the unique elephant baby drinking from a watering hole alongside its mother and family. The baby’s pink-tinted skin stood out from the pack in a big way, against a sea of gray African elephants.

As much as the albino elephant stuck out to Coertze, he will stick out to predators as well. This is what puts him, and other albino wildlife, in greater danger. Not to mention, their pink eyes and skin are very sensitive to sunlight.

Animals are naturally meant to blend in with their habitats, and as cute as this albino elephant may be, he stands out like a flashing sign.

According to Dr. Ian Whyte, a specialist in large herbivores at Kruger Park, albino wildlife is more common than many people often think. Unfortunately, that’s because many don’t survive very long.

While the baby is believed to be an albino, it is still unclear if he is a true albino or a white elephant, which is also rare. That’s because none of the photos offer a clear enough image of the baby’s eyes to see if they are pink or not.

The baby’s eyes are partially closed in all of the pics, which may indicate he is a true albino and was trying to shield his sensitive eyes from the sun. Although, no one can say for certain quite yet. Albino wildlife is known to not have strong eyesight.