Sometimes you have to earn your stipes.
And it seems this aged badger has dramatically failed.
The elderly gentlemen - nicknamed Albert - is lacking the usual trademark decorations of his relatives.

He is, in fact, an extremely rare pure albino specimen.

But if you met him in the woods on a dark night, you'd be forgiven for thinking he was a ghostly apparition.

Thought to be five years old, Albert - who is completely white with red eyes - was bought to a rescue centre two weeks ago severely underweight and suffering from a bite wound to his rear.

He also has worn-out teeth, deteriorating vision and a few aches and pains - but these are only to be expected in any mature individual.

Despite his ailments, staff at the Secret World Wildlife Centre near Highbridge, Somerset, are determined to nurse him back to health.

Fed on a calorific diet of peanut butter and jam sandwiches, custard creams and the odd can of dog food, Albert should reach the desired weight of 12kg in the next few weeks.

He'll then be sett to be released back into the wild - albeit in his unusual camouflage.

Although albino badgers are extremely rare, the pale look doesn't seem to have done Albert any harm.

Many wild badgers don't make to their first birthday so to live until they are five is exceptionally old.

It is thought the fact badgers are nocturnal animals with poor sight has helped Albert be accepted by his kin.

He is also a very large mammal, despite being currently underweight, which has probably helped him survive.

A spokesman for the centre said: "Despite his age, this badger is very special.

"We can't decide if he looks more like a polar bear or a ferret because of his lack of stripes.

"It is very rare to come across an albino badger.

"We help 100 badgers a year and none of us have ever seen one."

Badgers are omnivorous mammals that can grow to a metre in length.

It is thought the name badger may have derived from 'badge' because of the trademark stripes on the head.