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Rare Sightings – News, Facts & Videos

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Author Nelleke van Niekerk, BSc Food Science (Biochemistry)

Portrait of white tiger. Clément Bardot, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Portrait of white tiger. Clément Bardot, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Many things happen in the animal kingdom that go unnoticed. Things like rare genetic mutations, animals seeing their reflections for the first time, rare species, and even odd behaviors! 

Explore our archives of rare animal sighting articles.

Rare Animal Mutations

Some animals are born with rare mutations. These are often a result of two parents with recessive genes sharing mutations with their offspring. Errors in DNA replication during cell division can also lead to mutations. Viral infections can also introduce foreign DNA into the animal’s genetic sequence which can result in long-lasting changes to their genetics.

Latest Rare Sightings News

4 Unique Conditions and Mutations in Animals

  1. Extra limbs: Some animals are born with two heads, extra legs, or even just one eye! Unfortunately, these animals do not live long in the wild. 
  2. Albinism: When both parents carry the recessive gene for this mutation, offspring can be born without the pigmentation that gives them their color, like albino cougars – there are only 4 in the world we know of! 
  3. Leucism: This occurs in animals born without the pigmentation of pheomelanin. In the case of tigers, they are born white compared to their normal yellow coloring, however, their eye color is not affected as in the case of albinism. 
  4. Hybrid Animals: These animals have two parents of different species. Examples of these are Ligers, who have a Lion father and a Tiger mother. Some other examples include Zonkeys, Beefalo, and Wholphins! These animals are hardly found in the wild and are bred by humans. 
White leucistic alligator
Rare Albino Alligator. Image via Shutterstock.

Rare Animal Sighting FAQs

What is the rarest animal to see? 

This is not due to any genetic mutations or conditions, but the rarest animal to spot in the wild is the Vaquita. These marine mammals are extremely endangered with a population count around 10! 

Can albino animals survive in the wild?

Unfortunately, albino animals rarely survive in the wild, due to their lack of pigmentation they have no protection from the sun! These animals also struggle to hide or hunt because their appearance stands out against their habitats, and some have quite poor eyesight. 

Can hybrid animals reproduce? 

Hybrid animals are usually sterile animals due to the differences in their genetic makeup that can’t line up with others to undergo meiosis. Making these animals only occur after interspecies breeding! 

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