The calf is a reticulated giraffe, one of four giraffe species. The zoo said she might be the “only solid-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet.” (The last spotless giraffe in captivity was likely a calf born at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in 1972, CBS News reported.) And underneath each spot is a “sophisticated system of blood vessels,” according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on sustaining and growing the wild giraffe population across Africa. Zoo founder Tony Bright said that the weeks-old calf is casting a “much-needed spotlight” on giraffe conservation. The new calf joins a growing herd at Bright’s, following another baby giraffe that was born just weeks before.

---

Persons: CNN —, she’s, Tony Bright Organizations: CNN, Bright’s, Tokyo’s Ueno, CBS News, Denver Zoo, Giraffe Conservation, Labor Locations: Tennessee, Limestone, Tokyo’s, Kenya, Africa