An extremely rare spotless giraffe has been born in a US zoo.
The adorable calf came into the world on July 31 at the Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, to the shock of her carers.
Instead of flaunting the usual distinctive brown-spotted pattern the animal is known for, the baby giraffe is instead rocking an all-brown coat, with some cream colouring on its underside.
In a statement, the zoo said they believed the youngster to be the only living giraffe in the world to be born without her spots.
Giraffe experts agree she is likely the only solid-coloured reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet.
The last known record of a spotless giraffe dates back to 1972 in Tokyo, after the creature was born at the Ueno Zoo and named Toshiko.
Stephanie Fennessy, executive director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), said the group had “never seen a similar giraffe in the wild in Africa”.
The female calf is already 6ft tall and is thriving under the care of her mother and zoo staff.
A giraffe’s pattern is believed to serve as a form of camouflage in the wild, with the skin under the spots also having a system of blood vessels that provide thermal regulation.
Tony Bright, the zoo’s founder, said the newborn’s popularity is helping raise awareness about the species.
“The international coverage of our patternless baby giraffe has created a much-needed spotlight on giraffe conservation,” he said in a statement.
“Wild populations are silently slipping into extinction, with 40 per cent of the wild giraffe population lost in just the last 3 decades.”
Along with chances to see the spotless giraffe, the zoo is asking for the public’s help in naming the newcomer.
The short-listed options are Kipekee, which means “unique” in Swahili; Firayali, which means unusual; Shakiri, which means “she is most beautiful”; and Jamella, which is “one of great beauty”.