Gorilla With Pigmentation Disorder On Her Fingers Is An Excellent Reminder Of How Genetically Close We Are

We need to be reminded from time to time of evolution and how important animals are

Damjan

• Published in Animal Stories
• November 1, 2020

We all know that we are genetically connected to great apes, but somehow that thought is always in the back of our minds. And only when we see some clear evidence that hits us in the face do we realize how close we actually are.

And we are amazed every single time. And it’s the same with these photos shared by the Atlanta Zoo. A gorilla called Anaka has a pigmentation disorder that’s a real eye-opening nature’s glitch.

Anaka is six years old and lives at Zoo Atlanta. The Zoo staff regularly shares her photos, and the recent ones emphasized her hand.

People soon began to point out how the hair and pigment deficiency made her fingers look like they belong to a white person.

Some people suggested that Anaka might have vitiligo, a human disorder that causes pigment changes on skin patches.

The zoo has no reason to believe that’s what caused the condition.

“Well, her skin pigment has always been like that and hasn’t changed over the years, so we think it’s just a cool birthmark.”

The zoo’s website also says that Anaka is the 22nd gorilla born in The Ford African Rain Forest (the gorilla display) and is a “pretty active little gorilla” who is “often riding piggyback on her brother and sisters.”

How did the people react?

Others pointed out that gorilla’s hands were always like human hands. The pink pigment just makes them look more Caucasian.

Damjan