Poachers kill 2 of 3 unique white giraffes in Kenya

ANKARA (AA) - Armed poachers have killed two specimens of the extremely rare white giraffe -- a female giraffe and her calf -- in northeastern Kenya, according to local news reports.

The mother giraffe was found in a "skeletal state" after being killed by the poachers in northeastern Kenya's Garissa county, Kenya-based daily The Star reported on Tuesday.

The remaining bull is in the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy and is believed to be the last remaining specimen of its kind, according to the newspaper.

Though in 2016, a white giraffe was reportedly sighted in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, no reports have since emerged on its fate and the Ishaqbini Hirola conservancy holds that the Kenyan bull is the last worldwide, according to the U.K.-based Daily Mail news website.

"This is a very sad day for the community of Ijara and Kenya as a whole. We are the only community in the world who are custodians of the white giraffe. Its killing is a blow to tremendous steps taken by the community to conserve rare and unique species and a wakeup call for continued support to conservation efforts," the Star quoted Mohammed Ahmednoor, the manager of Ishaqbini Hirola, where the giraffe was endemic, as saying.

"This is a long term loss given that genetics studies and research which were significant investment into the area by researchers, has now gone to the drain. Further to this, the white giraffe was a big boost to tourism in the area," Ahmednoor added.

The extremely rare giraffes were first seen in 2016, making headlines worldwide in 2017.

With their white coat due to a genetic condition called leucism rather than albinism, according to local Daily Nation newspaper.

The motive of the killing is still unknown, while the poachers remain at large, according to a report by the Standard news website.