Extremely rare albino panda reappears in southwest China

A rare albino giant panda, believed to be the only one of its kind, has been found in the wild again in southwestern China, the South China Morning Post reported.

Footage of the all-white animal was released by the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan province on May 27. Reports said the panda is believed to be around five or six years old and does not appear to have any health problems.

Gấu trúc bạch tạng cực hiếm vừa tái xuất ở tây nam Trung Quốc - Ảnh 1. — Albino panda found in the wild again, in southwestern China

The new footage also shows the all-white animal interacting with some normal pandas at around 2,600 metres above sea level.

The unusual animal was first spotted by staff at the nature reserve in April 2019, at an altitude of about 2,000 metres above sea level. The reserve released the first images of the animal in May that year, showing its white fur, claws and red eyes.

Reserve authorities have set up a special team to monitor the panda, according to China Central Television. Researchers have studied the bear's habits and installed and adjusted cameras to record its movements.

This is the first albino giant panda found in the wild. According to Li Sheng, a researcher at Peking University (China), it is still unclear whether its genes are inherited and passed on regularly in the small panda population, and further research is needed.

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