Light & bright

QCLIVE LEWIS from Johannesburg writes: I photographed this palecoloured impala near the Muzandzeni picnic site in the Kruger Park, a first for me despite regular visits to the park for the past 50 years.

AWildlife expert LD VAN ESSEN says: Even though leucism has been recorded in a variety of species, there is no reliable data available on how often it occurs in a particular species or in nature in general. Leucism is the expression of a recessive gene that results in a loss of pigment and it’s more prevalent when leucistic animals are kept in an enclosed area, like a game farm or reserve. The general impression is that leucistic animals don’t survive long in the wild because they don’t blend into their surroundings. Yet many animals with leucism make it to adulthood. It does appear that animals that live in bigger social groups (like impalas, monkeys and lions) have a better chance of survival. There is no irrefutable evidence of either theory at this stage.