Did nature just run out of paint or is there more too these
fascinating spotted or white animals we encounter in nature?
Of late I have encountered some fascinating specimens of rarity,
more notably in Uganda while on safari. I updated you on the case of the “pink
hippo” that we encountered at Chobe Safari lodge….and yes Uganda also has a Chobe;
I didn't lose my way and ended up in Botswana. The Uganda version is one of those must see places, especially if you wanted to photograph the rare
Rothschild giraffe outside Chobe Safari lodge in Uganda by
John Gibbons
This Chobe lodge is located in Murchison falls national park
in Uganda along the Frothing river Nile, and was named after the area. In the local
lingo Chobe refers to place without men, referring to old tribal wars that took
the men from the area in days long gone. Marasa Africa rebuilt the lodge two years ago once Joseph Kony and his lords residence army was pushed out of the area and Uganda, making this unspoiled area accessible to tourism again.
While visiting the lodge, we stumbled onto a hippo
that was covered in white spots, making it appear pinkish and I was intrigued
to hear from the local guides that is was not an isolated case in the park and
that they have seen completely pink coloured hippos. This obviously got my
attention and I tucked this little titbit away as we proceeded with the trip,
determined to find out more.
Photo - Spotted pink hippo in front of Chobe Safari lodge by Kim Allen
On a Safari to Queen Elizabeth national park in the weeks
that followed we took clients on a water Safari down the Kazinga channel. As we approached a bachelor herd of buffalo on
the banks of the channel I noticed that it was a combination of both forest and
Cape buffalo, which was new to me in itself. But even more peculiar was the
very evident white stripe down the front of the one males face.
Photo - Both forest and cape buffalo found lazing together on the banks of the Kazinga Channel by Corne Schalkwyk.
That was my first encounter with this buffalo
bull, that I now know has been spotted in the area before by guides and the
locals estimate that they first noticed him some five years before as a young
calf.
On my return to the lodge, I sent some photos off to both
Lex Hes and Anton Lategan of EcoTraining in the hopes that my old employers and
mentors could shed some light on the curious case of the white faced buffalo.
Photo - Curious case of the white faced buffalo by Corne Schalkwyk
In the weeks that followed I got some feedback from guides
and EcoTraining on abnormalities and colour variations in wild animals. This
also opened the door to discussions around possible inbreeding or interbreeding
of wild animals and even domestic animals, as Uganda doesn’t have fences
surrounding their national parks.
Not only did I learn a lot, it actually made me feel at home
in Uganda as this was a normal part our office life at EcoTraining and to be
truthful, something I missed in Uganda.
Genetic abnormalities are present in all wildlife. Even
birds have white spots that appear to be a linked to albinism or leucism. This is due to the fact that every animal, from
cockroaches to apes makes melanin and can have albinism. Such animals normally
fare poorly in the wild and don’t always survive long enough for us to enjoy or
see them in the wild, but the occurrence of albinism runs the gamut across the
animal kingdom.
Their rate of survival is virtually zero. Predators easily
pick them out of a group. Families and social groups can exclude them because
to every other member, they look foreign. The specimens we normally see are in
captivity as their survival rate increases significantly in captivity. When it comes to mating, some species fare
better than others. The albino peacock attracts females just fine.
"Pink Hippo" spotted on Safari at Paraa Safari lodge - Photo by Penny Boyd
Albinism derived from the word “white “is a congenital
disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the
skin, hair and eyes due to absence of the copper-containing enzyme involved in
the production of melanin.
While speaking to my friends and co-workers at Marasa Africa
and Premier Safaris in Uganda it became apparent that there has been some
ongoing sightings of “Pink Hippo’s” in Uganda, Maanan even sent me this amazing
photo taken by Penny Boyd of a completely pink hippo that they spotted on a
game drive close to Paraa Safari lodge in Murchison falls national park in
Uganda prior to me joining the team at Marasa.
The hippo we spotted at Chobe wasn’t an albino as it had
dark eyes and some pigmented spots on its body. Therefore it is most likely
that this is an example of a leucistic hippo.
Photo - Another example from Lex Hes - Lex took this photo of a young Impala in South Africa
“Leucism is a condition
characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals and humans. Unlike albinism,
it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin.” Different
to most cases of albinism, leucistic animals generally retain some essence of
their normal pigmentation. A partial expression of leucism can be exhibited in
the form of an animal having spotted or piebald appearance. The skin appears
pink; its coat or fur colour may vary from blond to beige to pure white. Uganda
has some great examples of this as the photos have shown.
Leucistic and albino animals are also easily spotted by
predators which greatly reduces their chances of survival. Fortunately, hippos
are too big for most predators, and this is probably why we spot more of these
examples of nature’s sometimes wondering brush.
Given the millions of different shades of colour that we see
in nature, it’s no wonder that, once in a while, nature might simply run out of
paint. Perhaps this is why pure-white or patched coloured animals leave such a
strong impression on us. Some of them look like ghostly spirit animals,
especially if encountered at night. Others, like albino whales or apes, are
lonely one-in-a-million albinos with striking, unexpected appearances.
As a keen wildlife photographer, it is always exciting to
photograph something a little bit different, or out of the ordinary and Uganda
delivered on the unusual.
Whether you find them strange, beautiful, abnormal or
freakish, I hope you enjoyed this update of Uganda sightings that nature…..just
forgot to colour in its normal way.
By Corne Schalkwyk
Photo Credits:
Penny Boyd, Lex Hes of EcoTraining, Kim Allen of Chobe Safari lodge, Corne
Schalkwyk and John Gibbons
If you would like some more information related to the
update above or Uganda in general please see information below:
Travel to Uganda with Premier Safaris, visit their website
at www.premiersafaris.com or
contact reservations@premiersafaris.com
.
Premier have a great upcoming photographic Safari with Albie Venter (also from
EcoTraining) in June called the "Pearl of Africa" Photographic Safari to Uganda – http://www.premiersafaris.com/itineraries/%E2%80%9Cpearl-africa%E2%80%9D-photographic-trip
To learn about the Marasa Africa lodges in Uganda and Kenya,
Including Mweya, Paraa and Chobe safari lodges mentioned above visit their
website at www.marasa.net
EcoTraining - Nature Guide Training – Reconnecting you to
the natural world through educational, exciting and life-changing wilderness
experiences - www.ecoTraining.co.za
Also read the original update on the blog: http://travelcorne.blogspot.com/
White Buffalo calf in Kruger - http://blog.africageographic.com/africa-geographic-blog/wildlife/wildlife-and-nature/white-buffalo-calves-in-kruger-area/
Tip for the day - #Wildlifewednesday
Take a holiday, and travel to the wild as fascinating experiences awaits you. You can always make more money but our untouched wilderness and exploration is fast slipping out of our grasp.
No comments:
Post a Comment