Video footage of a rare pink elephant calf going for a swim with its herd was shared with Latest Sightings.
Mala Mala Game Reserve guide Jaco Joubert shared the video of the little calf going for a swim in the river. He said, ‘It was late afternoon when we headed down to the river to see what we could find. Expecting to find regulars at the water’s edge, cooling down from the day’s heat, we were pleasantly surprised to find a rather unique little creature. A pink elephant!
‘The little calf, despite its strange appearance, seemed to have been fitting in with the rest of the herd very well. This particular afternoon, the entire herd entered the river to play and cool down. The little elephant, in spite of its tiny size, joined in on the fun.’
The calf was born with a genetic mutation known as leucism which causes a loss in pigmentation in animals’ skin, feathers, or hair. This can subsequently result in pale, white, or patchy skin, feathers, or hair, as well as other abnormalities.
The calf’s skin is therefore more translucent without its pigmentation, with its capillaries and blood vessels more visible creating a pinkish hue.
Fortunately, this rare condition is not harmful and might even provide more protection from the sun. The sun can more easily pass through the translucent skin and help the calf to regulate its body temperature better.
Watch the little pink calf swimming below:
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