A rare albino giant panda has caught the attention of bear lovers around the world after being photographed for the first time in history in southwest China.
This unprecedented sight was not seen directly by human eyes, but rather was captured by a camera that was triggered by the movement of the panda. Thus, it was seen at an altitude of 2,000 meters by an infrared camera trap in China’s Wolong National Nature Reserve. The animal has both white hair and red eyes: everything indicates that it has a rare genetic mutation responsible for its very particular coloration.
“Judging by the images, the panda is an albino, one to two years old ,” Li Sheng, a researcher at Peking University and bear specialist, told the Chinese publication Xinhua . “The panda looked strong and his steps were constant, a sign that the genetic mutation might not have prevented his life,” says the expert.
An albino giant panda?
Albinism occurs when the animal lacks melanin , the dark brown or black pigment that appears in the hair, skin, and eyes of people and animals. The lack of this protective pigment can make an animal more sensitive to sunlight, resulting in potential skin defects and eye damage. However, in the press release issued by the Chinese reserve they note that an expert analysis of the photos of the albino panda suggests that the mutation “may not affect the normal life of the panda.” These animals are found in the bamboo forests of China, often protected from the sun by bamboo leaves.
It is impossible to know the sex of the panda, but the reserve’s researchers add that its presence indicates that there may be a mutant gene present in the Wolong giant panda population. It is not clear whether the recessively inherited gene will be passed on to future generations. Only when both parent pandas carry the gene will it be exhibited in their offspring. If this particular bear were to mate with a normal panda, the first generation would still retain the colors we all know ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ). But if the second generation of offspring also carried the albino gene and mated with another panda carrying the mutation, it might be possible that we could see more albino pandas in the coming years.
Bamboo everywhere
The Wolong National Nature Reserve is one of the largest and best-known panda reserves in China. Its hot and humid climate produces copious amounts of bamboo, the panda’s favorite food.
According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, giant pandas are considered vulnerable, as we only have between 500 and 1,000 known mature individuals. Giant bears only live in the wild in the forests of China and are threatened by climate change, pollution, human activities and natural disasters.
Thanks to this discovery, new cameras will be added to the region to try to increase the tracking of this distinctive animal , an individual of scientific importance, since a completely white albino panda has never been documented before.
While numbers are believed to have increased in recent years, there is still great concern for this beautiful species, and now also for its newest known member, a creature that is rare even among its species, making it a nature’s wonder.
Image credit: Wolong Nature Reserve
