12 hours ago
Fact Check: Rare spotless giraffe lives in Tennessee zoo. Reports suggest it's not the only one
Claim:
As of August 2025, the only known spotless giraffe in the world was living in a Tennessee zoo.
Rating:
What's True:
In 2023, a rare spotless giraffe named Kipekee was born in a Tennessee zoo. She still lives there as of this writing.
What's False:
While Kipekee may have been the only known spotless giraffe at the time of her birth, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation announced the discovery of another giraffe without spots in Namibia just one month later.
In August 2025, posts about a supposed "spotless giraffe" living in a Tennessee zoo spread online.
"Meet Kipekee — the only spotless giraffe alive today. In rural Tennessee, Brights Zoo welcomed a giraffe unlike any seen in half a century," said one Aug. 14 Facebook post, a claim echoed by similar posts. This was not the first time social media spread claims about Kipekee; posts about the allegedly solid-colored giraffe have circulated on Facebook, Instagram and Reddit since 2023.
An extremely rare spotless giraffe born yesterday at a Tennessee zoobyu/TheSentinelsSorrow ininterestingasfuck
Kipekee is a real spotless giraffe who, as of this writing, lives at Brights Zoo in Tennessee — with "no plans" of moving anywhere else, according to an email from David Bright, the zoo's director. At the time of Kipekee's July 31, 2023, birth, news outlets reported that Brights Zoo may have welcomed the only giraffe without spots alive in the world, as evidenced by Kipekee's name, which means "unique" in Swahili. However, just a month later, another spotless giraffe was … spotted … in Namibia.
Given that the August posts accurately described Kipekee's existence and living situation but relied on outdated information about the rarity of the giraffe's coat, we rate this claim a mixture of truth and falsehood.
Numerous legitimate news outlets, including NPR and National Geographic, covered Kipekee's birth. Broadcast journalists have filmed Kipekee at the private, family-owned zoo. Furthermore, zoo visitors have posted various images and videos of the giraffe online at different angles, and the dates of these posts range from 2023 to 2025. As such, we are confident that the giraffe exists.
Kipekee was reportedly the first known spotless giraffe born since 1972, when one such giraffe was born at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, according to archival photos.
But in September 2023, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation announced that another patternless giraffe was photographed at Mount Etjo Safari Lodge in central Namibia — the first recorded in the wild. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation, which partners with organizations like the Smithsonian Institution, says it is the only nongovernmental organization in the world dedicated solely to the conservation of wild giraffes.
The foundation's news release included images of the spotless Namibia giraffe. At the time, experts said they did not know why the giraffes had no spots.
"The lack of spots could be caused by genetic mutations or recessive genotype in one or more genes related to the pattern, but without detailed genetic analysis, these are mere speculations," Julian Fennessy, the organization's co-founder and director of conservation, said in the statement.
@lushandbashful. "She's Sooo Cute." 26 Sept. 2023, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
@ohgiveitupdude. "EDIT: Guys She's a Girl :(((( Also Apparently She Isn't the Only One! Super Cool! But Also They Advertise Her as 'Spot-Less' so Idk about All the Debate about If They're Spots or Lines That's Just What They Say ." 29 Mar. 2025, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
"A Short History of GCF - Giraffe Conservation Foundation." Giraffe Conservation Foundation,
Alamy Limited. "Jun. 29, 1972 - Spotless Giraffe Appeared for Public: A Spotless Baby Giraffe, Who Has Been Born at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo This Winter, Has Appeared for Public. The Rare Little Animal Has None of the Usual Markings of the Father or Mother, and No Signs That It Will Develop Them Later. Photo Shows the Spotless Baby Giraffe with Its Mother." Alamy images, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
---. "Jun. 29, 1972 - Spotless Giraffe Appeared for Public: A Spotless Baby Giraffe, Who Has Been Born at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo This Winter, Has Appeared for Public. The Rare Little Animal Has None of the Usual Markings of the Father or Mother, and No Signs That It Will Develop Them Later. Photo Shows the Spotless Giraffe Seen at Uenc Zoo." Alamy images, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
BBC Newsround. "Baby Giraffe Born with No Spots Named by the Public." BBC Newsround, 7 Sept. 2023, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
Guzman, Francisco, and James Powel. "Tennessee Zoo Reveals Name of Rare Giraffe without Spots – Kipekee. Here's What It Means." USA TODAY, 5 Sept. 2023, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
Maron , Dina Fine. "Extremely Rare Spotless Giraffe Born in U.S. Zoo." Animals, 23 Aug. 2023,
Milman, Oliver. "Spotless Giraffe, Thought to Be Only One in World, Born at Tennessee Zoo." The Guardian, The Guardian, 21 Aug. 2023, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
NPR. "A Baby Giraffe Was Born with No Spots and That's What Inspired the Calf's Name." NPR, 8 Sept. 2023, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
O'Kane, Caitlin. "Tennessee Zoo Says It Has Welcomed a Rare Spotless Giraffe - CBS News." 22 Aug. 2023,
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"Reticulated Giraffe-Bright's Zoo-April 2025." Apr. 2025, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
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WFAA. "World's Only Spotless Giraffe Born at Tenneesee Zoo, Named 'Kipekee.'" YouTube, 6 Sept. 2023, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
WJHL. "Kipekee Turns 1: A Year of Her Life and Her Success." YouTube, 31 July 2024, Accessed 18 Aug. 2025.
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