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Home / World

Meet Pearl: The amazing alligator with incredibly rare white skin

By Mark Molloy
Daily Telegraph UK·
24 Jan, 2017 08:38 PM2 mins to read

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Source: Gatorland Orlando

An unusual albino alligator with completely white skin has become the star attraction at a US theme park in Florida.

Pearl certainly lives up to her name, with her eye-catching white skin and pink eyes helping her shine brightly and stand out from the crowd at the 110-ace wildlife preserve, Gatorland.

Photos of Pearl have been widely shared on social media, with one commenting: "So beautiful that she looks fake!"

Another added: "She's absolutely gorgeous!"

Gatorland explained that the striking alligator arrived at the reserve as a baby in 2009 and is now one of the most in-demand gators at the sanctuary.

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"Pearl is 10 years old and very popular at Gatorland," a spokesman said. "She is 7.5 feet long and weighs 105 pounds.

"She arrived to Gatorland when she was 3 years old. Pearl is an albino alligator which means she has white skin and pink eyes due to the complete absence of pigmentation."

The albino alligators kept at the park are incredibly rare, with just a handful of gators with white skin known to exist.

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Another white gator at the park, Bouya Blan, was among a congregation of alligators taken from a Louisiana swamp in 2009.

"People are awestruck when they see them, and just one look into those icy, blue eyes will give you chills," explained Mark McHugh, President and CEO of Gatorland, following their arrival.

Pearl at Gatorland. Photo / Gatorland Facebook
Pearl at Gatorland. Photo / Gatorland Facebook

"The biggest concern is that they never would have survived in the wild. They are like little beacons out shining 'come eat me'."

The alligators are kept in a custom-built shaded enclosure due to their sensitivity to direct sunlight.

This article was originally published by The Telegraph.

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