The complete or partial loss of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes is know as albinism. Just like humans, it’s occurrence in animals is mainly due to hereditary conditions. Here are some awe-inspiring images of rarely seen albino animals.

1. Snowflake the western lowland albino gorilla was a local celebrity at Barcelona Zoo until his tragic passing in 2003.

2. This stunning albino baby turtle was spotted swimming among it’s brothers and sisters near the Australian coast.

3. This magical white moose snapped in the middle of a forest sent the whole of Reddit into a frenzy!

4. Zoe the zebra proves that things aren’t always as black and white as they seem.

5. Australians got a pleasant surprise when they encountered this albino humpback whale swimming on the edge of the Gold Coast.

6. This adorable rare white penguin was spotted by tourists in the Antarctica.

7. This mystical white stag was spotted in the Scottish Highlands (not Narnia!).

8. This sweet little baby albino elephant is being protected by it’s mother in the African savanna.

9. This half-white, half-coloured peacock is truly a one-of-a-kind sighting.

10. Few things are more breathtaking than this image of a beautiful white lioness.

11. This ultra-rare white buffalo is as rare as one in ten million! Because of it’s uncommonness, Native Americans see it’s presence as a symbol of hope.

12. This albino alligator is probably the most unique of it’s kind.