Two large black spots surrounding their eyes and a pair of little jet-colored ears are what give pandas their look that fills us with tenderness, but the story changes when a genetic mutation kicks in and albinism occurs. Of course, this is extremely rare; in fact, only a single albino panda has been known since official records began, and the good news is that it has just made a stellar appearance and appears to be in good health.
The Only Albino Panda
The world’s only known albino panda appeared on infrared cameras at Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China. The albino panda was first and last heard from in 2019, but the recent video shows that the snow-colored panda continues to live in the national park and is in good health. The images managed to capture him as an adult walking heavily in the snowy mountains and even approaching a female panda with her cubs, which is unusual.
Albinism is caused by a genetic mutation that produces the absence of melanin, which is the compound that gives color to the skin, hair, fur, and even the eyes. This is why the panda not only lacks its characteristic black spots but also has red eyes due to its condition. No other pandas are known to have this mutation, so it is of great importance to keep monitoring the only albino panda, so we can learn more about how it could affect socialization with others of the same species.
Experts believe that the panda is already an adult and is now between 5 and 6 years old. Although its sex remains a mystery, it is expected to be revealed soon as it is about to reach sexual maturity.
Social Interaction Despite Its Condition
The cameras managed to capture a good amount of images of the albino panda that left experts surprised, as he is shown approaching a female with cubs, which is completely unusual. Normally, females tend to be aggressive towards any adult that approaches them during breeding, a behavior that ensures the safety of the young cubs. But the videos show how the albino panda, which is now an adult, approaches a female with a cub about 1-year-old.
While the female is seen chasing away the albino panda, she is not particularly threatened by its presence, which is really strange. “The cub in the images is between one and two years old, and the all-white panda is almost the size of an adult,” shared Wei Rongping, senior engineer at the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center. “At the end of February, the wild pandas in Wolong entered the estrus season, during which female pandas with cubs can be very aggressive when an adult panda approaches or invades.”
Experts said it is possible that the female in question, is also the mother of the albino panda, and this would be the reason why she does not behave aggressively towards him. During the videos where the snow-colored panda appears, there were at least 15 close calls between the three bears during a short period, none of which the female was at all aggressive. “This female panda was extremely ‘calm’ and did not conform to the general rule. One possibility is that the female panda is the mother of the all-white panda.”
Because panda populations in the wild are low, the researchers believe the videos will help them better understand how the health of the group of 150 bears that inhabit the reserve is faring. In addition, they hope to collect DNA samples from the albino panda to learn more about its genetics and whether and how it might have offspring.
Story written in Spanish by Alejandra Martínez in Ecoosfera
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