UPI – A pink elephant goes for an afternoon swim with its mother and herd, and despite its unique colour, the herd passionately cares for it.
South Africa Mala Mala Game Reserve guide Jaco Joubert captured the cute scene and shared it with LatestSightings.com.
Leucism has caused its skin to have a pinkish hue. This is because without the pigmentation, the calf’s skin is more translucent, and the blood vessels and capillaries underneath the skin are more visible, giving it a pinkish tint.
“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.”
While this condition is quite rare, it’s not harmful to the elephant calf. In fact, it’s believed that the pink skin may even provide some protection from the harsh African sun. Because the skin is more translucent, it allows more light to pass through, which can help regulate the calf’s body temperature.
