I’m sure that albino kangaroos are very rare. Research in Australia tells us that they occur once every 50,000 to 100,000 births. A baby albino kangaroo whose name is Mila has gone missing from the Kaiserslautern Zoo in Germany. The great fear is that the animal has been stolen because of its rarity. She was born last month and became a star attraction.
She seldom strayed far from her mother. Matthias Smidtt, the zoo’s director, said that she was not in her cage when the zoo closed on Wednesday. He has appealed to the public for help. Hunters with dogs are searching for her.
The theft theory looks the best because of her rarity and because no blood traces have been found to indicate she was killed by a fox.
The whole team at the zoo is hoping Mila will be found again and is in good health, the director said.
Albinism is caused by a faulty gene which offspring inherit from their parents. Scientists call this a genetic mutation. It affects the production of pigment that colours the skin, hair and eyes. This pigment is called melanin. Melanin causes colouring in all animals including the human animal.
An albino animal normally has pink eyes and there fur is white as it is for this kangaroo. The fur is white because it contains no colouration, no pigment.
