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Pink Elephant Calf Joyously Plays with Family, Defying Expectations and Enchanting Onlookers in the Wild

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The baby bull elephant likely has albinism, an inherited condition that affects the production of melanin

The approximately one-year-old pink elephant calf was born with albinism, wildlife biologists said, a rare genetic condition that halts the body's production of the skin pigment known as melanin — sometimes with damaging effects to a creature's eyesight and food foraging skills

People say you see pink elephants when you imbibe too much, but this is the real deal.

According to SWNS, safari operator Theo Potgieter spotted a pink African elephant calf at Olifants River in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

Potgieter told SWNS he had heard reports of a pink elephant living in the national park but hadn’t seen the colorful creature himself until February.

Theo Potgieter/SWNS

“A handful of sightings have been reported of this young bull in late 2023, but to my knowledge, there is no footage,” the safari operator said.

Knowing there likely weren’t any photos of the baby elephant yet, Potgieter “grabbed the camera to start shooting for confirmation footage” as soon as he spied the pink pachyderm.

The shots the man captured show the unique animal playing with his family and splashing near the river.

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Theo Potgieter/SWNS

“What a pleasant surprise,” the safari operator said of his experience.

The baby elephant likely has albinism, an inherited condition that affects melanin production, resulting in light skin, eyes, and hair.

A safari operator in South Africa captured the footage of this rare young pink elephant (center) hopping and playing with his young gray peers at a watering hole in Kruger National Park

“I would estimate the young bull to be one year old, and although complex group dynamics often result in individuals with the recessive gene to be rejected, this little guy was tolerated by all members of the group and seemed to have perfectly fit in,” Potgieter said of the pink elephant sighting, adding that he estimates “only 1 out of 10,000 births” result in a lighter colored elephant.

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Theo Potgieter/SWNS

The pink elephant calf isn’t the only baby animal with an eye-catching appearance.