World's only all-white panda's new gilded look

The world’s only known all-white panda surfaced again in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, with a brand-new look of golden-white fur all over, as videos released on Friday by local authorities showed.

The distinctive creature burst into sight after infrared cameras captured its figure about 2,000 meters above sea level in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in April 2019. With no spots on its body and unique red eyes, the wild giant panda was concluded to be an albino, the only one of its kind anywhere.

In February 2020, the panda was once again spotted in the reserve rambling in a snowfield and making brief occasional stops as if absorbed in deep thought.

After three days of trekking across forests and brooks, it was then caught on cameras set up about 1 kilometer away on a mountain ridge. It took the panda about 10 minutes to reach the foot of the mountain before it vanished into the unknown.

“It has grown up a lot and has a sturdy physique. Judging from pictures, the panda is now about three years old and the snow-white fur of its limbs has become tinged with a golden hue,” said Tan Yingchun with the reserve’s protection and research project on the white giant panda.

Since the albino panda acted alone in both pieces of video footage, the researchers with the reserve believe that it has left the nest, living on its own away from its mother.

The videos have shown that the white panda was in good shape with lustrous fur, said Li Sheng, a researcher with Peking University and a specialist in bears. Li also explained that albinism exists in different vertebrate species and the albino mutation can inhibit melanin synthesis in an animal’s body, making the animal appear white, golden-white or pastel golden.

The albino is a recessive gene. Only when the parent pandas both carry the gene can the baby show the albino traits.

Albinism usually does not affect the animal’s physical makeup and functions. However, it may make the animal easier to be discovered.