Pink Elephants are the New Pink Dolphins
By Jessanne Collins
Photo: BBC News
Now that bottlenose dolphins have had their moment in the spotlight, African elephants have upped the adorabilty ante with a new addition to the pink animal kingdom. A super-rare albino baby elephant, pinkish in hue, was captured on film in Botswana by a BBC photographer. Unfortunately, the elephant may have a tougher time of it than his aquatic counterpart: a lack of pigment is a significant disability when you live on an African plain, so albino elephants don't have great prospects of long term survival.
Still, ecologist Mike Chase is hopeful that the calf can survive by seeking refuge under trees and in the mud of the region where it was spotted. "Already the two-to-three-month-old calf seems to be walking in the shade of its mother. This behaviour suggests it is aware of its susceptibility to
the harsh African sun, and adapted a unique behaviour to improve its
chances of survival," he said. "I have learned that elephants are highly adaptable, intelligent and masters of survival."
-- JESSANNE COLLINS
Previously > What's Poppin' with Pink Dolphins?