A female white giraffe, believed to be the last of her kind in the world, has been found dead along with her white calf.

The pair are thought to have been killed by poachers four months ago and were found in a "skeletal state."

The white giraffes were first spotted in March 2016 in Kenya, but made headlines a year later when they were photographed.

It's thought only one white giraffe remains, a lone male.

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A white female giraffe, thought to the last of its kind in the world, has been killed by poachers, conservationists in Kenya have announced.

The mother her and calf were found in a "skeletal state," and were thought to have died at least four months ago, Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy said in a statement.

The statement added the animals had been killed by armed poachers.

The rare giraffes had been living at the Kenyan wildlife sanctuary. The Kenya Wildlife Service was called to investigate the disappearance after the animals had not been seen for several weeks.

"This is a very sad day for the community of Ijara and Kenya as a whole. We are the only community in the world who are custodians of the white giraffes," Mohammed Ahmednoor, manager of the reserve in Garissa County, Kenya, said in a press release.

Mr. Ahmednoor described the killing of the giraffes as a "blow to tremendous steps taken by the community to conserve rare and unique species and a wake-up call for continued support to conservation efforts."

After the killing of the mother and calf, only one white giraffe, a lone bull, remains.

The unique animals inherited their bright white coat from a condition known as leucism that inhibits pigmentation in some skin cells.

The condition is different from albinism which prevents any melanin from being produced in cells at all.

The white giraffes were first seen in Kenya in March 2016, but the family made headlines in 2017 after their distinctive hide was photographed.

40% of the giraffe population has been lost in just 30 years, with poaching and wildlife trafficking contributing to this decline, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.

The Kenya Wildlife Society, the main conservation body in the East African state, said it was investigating the killings.

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