ORLANDO, Fla. — A rare white alligator was welcomed to the world Thursday at Gatorland Orlando.
This moment is also going down in the history books since it was the first ever Leucistic Alligator hatched and born in human care.
The baby gator is mostly white and is one of seven in the world, the wildlife park said in a news release. There are two other of the same gators at Gatorland.
“For the first time since a nest of leucistic alligators was discovered in the swamps of Louisiana 36 years ago, we have the first birth of a solid white alligator ever recorded from those original alligators," Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland, said in a statement. "This is beyond 'rare,' it is absolutely extraordinary!”
Although there are albino alligators in the wild, Gatorland says Leucistic Alligators are even more rare.
To tell the difference between the two, white albino alligators have pink eyes while Leucistic Alligators have blue eyes. Leucistic Alligators also tend to have patches of normal coloration on them.
“These are incredibly special animals in the reptile world, and we are being very careful with their safety and security," McHugh stated. "We plan to have them on display early next year so guests can see them, learn about them, and fall in love with them like we have. For now, however, we continue to keep them safe where we can closely monitor their health and growth."
The wildlife park says they are asking the public to help name the baby girl gator. To recommend a name, visit Gatorland's Facebook page by clicking here.