The hippo that’s pretty in pink

31.12.2015 10:00

This rare pink hippo may look out of place against its herd - but it has developed unique ways of surviving in the wild.

The hippo - which was pictured at a Kenyan nature reserve - is not an albino but is in fact leucistic, a condition where the pigmentation of cells in an animal fail to develop properly.

Leucism can often affect an animal's chances of survival as it makes them visible to predators - and also leaves them at risk of sunburn.

But hippos have an advantage in that they are big enough to defend themselves against attackers as well being able to use their sweat as sun screen.

Leucism is a condition in which there is only partial loss of pigmentation, which results in white, pale, or patchy colouration of the skin but unlike albinism does not affect the eyes.

It is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment not just melanin.

Leucism differs to albinism in that the latter is caused by the reduction of melanin production only and in mammals, results in white hair and pink eyes.

This particular hippo was seen in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve this winter and was photographed by French couple Laurent and Dominique Renaud.

Mr Renaud said: 'We knew the pink hippo was in a group of hippos in a bend of the river - people talked about it, but we were never sure whether it was real or a myth or not.

'So to see it in real life was an absolutely life changing experience.

'We checked the area every day and we were lucky enough to spot and to photograph it. I could barely get my camera out to take the photo, I was shaking so much!'

(dailymail.co.uk)