Scientists studying the ecology of the Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China found a curious shot when they checked a camera trap in April. It was a juvenile giant panda, estimated to be between a year and two years of age. But this panda had no black fur! Even its claws are white. More scrutiny revealed that the animal is an albino, and has the distinctive pinkish eyes that confirm the condition.
Because albinism is a hereditary condition—it comes from a recessive gene—there’s “a ‘whitening’ mutant gene in the giant panda population in Wolong,” as noted in the Sichuan press release. As the Wolong conservationists pointed out, should this panda grow to maturity and mate with another albino with the same mutated gene, it could result in yet another albino giant panda, or further propagation of the albino gene at the very least. The conservationists are planning to step up their monitoring of the area to learn more about this possibility, and to study other animals in the region.
Read more about the discovery at Gizmodo.
(Image credit: Wolong National Nature Reserve)