Rare White Panda Spotted In Sichuan Province Of China, Believed To Be Only CCP Albino Existing

[SBFNews]

Rare White Panda Spotted In Sichuan Province Of China, Believed To Be Only Albino Existing​

This is the first albino giant panda recorded in the wild, said a researcher.
By Jeremy Lee - 29 May 2023, 10:20 pm

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Rare White Panda Seen Interacting With Other Pandas At Nature Reserve In China’s Sichuan Province​

While pandas aren’t native to Singapore, we’re quite familiar with them thanks to the Giant Panda family at River Wonders.

However, most of us will not have seen rare animals like the albino panda, which has distinctive all-white fur.

This panda has recently been spotted again in China’s Sichuan province.

Source: China News Service on YouTube

It is believed to be the only albino panda in existence.

White panda footage released by China nature reserve​

New footage of the white panda was shared by the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The clips, released by China state broadcaster CCTV last Saturday (27 May), showed the furry animal strolling on the snowy terrain.

Source: CCTV via Weibo
It was also seen clambering up a tree.

Source: CCTV via Weibo
At one point, it appears to look directly into the camera.

Source: 苍南言 on Weibo

The panda is believed to be about five or six years old and doesn’t seem to be suffering from any health problems.

White panda seen interacting with other pandas​

More interestingly, the new footage shows the white panda interacting with other pandas that have regular black-and-white fur.

Source: China News Service on YouTube
This was at a location with an altitude of about 2,600m above sea level.

The other pandas don’t seem to mind that it’s a little different from them.

In fact, from the close contact and the way it behaves around them, experts have reportedly speculated that a female panda in the group might be its mother.

Source: iPanda熊猫频道 on Weibo

1st albino giant panda recorded in the wild​

Mr Li Sheng, a researcher from Beijing University’s School of Life Sciences, told CCTV that this is the first albino giant panda recorded in the wild.

More research is needed to find out if the panda’s albino genes will be inherited and passed on in the panda population, which is small, he said.

Source: 苍南言 on Weibo
According to a 2021 biodiversity report, there are about 1,860 pandas in the wild in China.

First seen in April 2019​

This isn’t the first time that this albino panda has been caught on camera, though.

It was first recorded by the nature reserve’s cameras in April 2019.

Source: 苍南言 on Weibo
After releasing that footage in May of that year, the reserve set up a special team to monitor the panda, studying its routines so they could install cameras to shoot more footage.
Happily, the white panda has now been revealed to be in good shape more than four years later.