This albino panda is believed to be the only one of its kind in the world, first discovered in mid-2019 while roaming in the bamboo forests of Sichuan.
On May 27, the Chinese state television network CCTV released footage from a camera capturing an albino panda at the National Nature Reserve Wolong in Sichuan Province.
The footage shows the albino panda interacting normally with other pandas. (Photo: Weibo).
The footage reveals the albino panda interacting with typical black-and-white pandas at an altitude of about 2,600 meters. Reports indicate that the panda is around 5-6 years old and appears to be in good health.
Li Sheng, a researcher from Peking University, stated that this is the first recorded albino panda found in the wild.
“It remains unclear whether its genes are inherited within the panda population. We still need further studies,” he said.
Authorities at the reserve have established a special team to monitor the albino panda. Researchers are studying its habits and have installed additional tracking cameras.
This unique panda was first detected by infrared cameras at the Wolong Nature Reserve in April 2019, at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level.
Initial images show that the panda exhibits all the characteristics of albinism, such as snow-white fur, white claws, and red eyes.
Albinism is a rare genetic condition occurring in both humans and animals, disrupting the ability to produce the melanin pigment in the skin. This condition makes affected organisms more susceptible to sunlight and can lead to poor vision.
China has also discovered 10 rare brown pandas in the wild from 1985 to 2021.
Pandas originate from China and primarily inhabit the mountainous regions of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. A 2021 biodiversity report from China indicates that there are approximately 1,860 pandas in the wild.
