You could be forgiven for thinking you’ve had one too many after looking at these photographs, but this is a pink elephant.
The infant albino elephant was sighted in a herd in South Africa’s Kruger National Park as it went to drink from a river with its mother.
Albino African elephants are a very unusual sighting, much more so than their smaller Asian cousins.
The lovely newborn albino was observed flapping its ears and playing about on the river’s side, surrounded by its herd family.
Despite being in a relatively safe habitat of the national park, which may help protect it from poachers, the little albino calf faces numerous threats.
Due to exposure to the hot African sun, the lack of pigment in its skin is prone to create skin disorders.
Because its eyes are sensitive to sunlight, it, like humans and other animals, may become blind later in life.
Tourist Nicki Coertze, 58, witnessed the uncommon occurrence while on safari with his family in Shingwedzi.
‘We were observing the elephants drinking at the Shingwedsi River when we discovered the albino elephant calf,’ said Mr Coertze of Polokwane, South Africa.
‘Despite the enthusiasm of the others in the car, we shot pictures of the elephant via the car window. I was attempting to stay super still.
‘I was really hoping the pink elephant would play in the water a bit, and wash all the dirt off, so we could see him in all his pinkness.
‘I captured some great images of the pink elephant. Some of the photos show it framed by the legs of another elephant, and you can really see the color contrast between the two as the calf displays its particular pinkness nicely.
‘I’ve been visiting Kruger since I was a child, and I’ve spent at least 20 to 30 days there every year for the past many years.
‘I’ve never before seen an albino elephant.
‘And none of my numerous friends have either. Keeping that in mind, I believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.
‘As far as the rest of the herd was concerned, they appeared to take him in stride.’
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