Animals
Albino Panda Is Photographed in the Wild
The Panda bear, which conservationists believe to be between 1 to 2 years old, was photographed at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in the Sichuan province of China.
Albinism panda is mostly existent in the animal kingdom, but it is an uncommon appearance, owing to a genetic mutation that leaves animals incapable of producing melanin. Apart from this fact, the reproductive and physiological capabilities of albino animals are the same as those of other individuals.
Albinism panda is mostly existent in the animal kingdom, but it is an uncommon appearance, owing to a genetic mutation that leaves animals incapable of producing melanin. Apart from this fact, the reproductive and physiological capabilities of albino animals are the same as those of other individuals.
According to National Geographic’’s Jane Actman, Albinism in animals, including humans, is caused by an uncommon mutation in one or quite a few genes that control the body’s production of melanin, the primary pigment that determines the color of hair, fur, and skin.
“The picture clearly shows the unique morphological characteristics of the panda: the hair is white, the claws are white, and the eyes are red, passing through the lush native deciduous broad-leaved forest,” the nature reserve said in a press release.
“The panda, which was filmed by Wolong, is the first fully whitened individual recorded in the wild … indicating that there is a ‘whitening’ mutant gene in the giant panda population in Wolong.”
Fortunately, the white panda appears to be doing well. “Based on the photo, albinism has not affected the life of the white panda much,” Li Sheng of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, tells May. “It looks quite well, quite strong.”
Albinus does not affect activities or physical structures, but it helps an animal stand out better to the daylight and more sensitive to sunlight compared to other animals, Li Sheng, a Peking University researcher, said in the statement.
A member of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature first posted the first known image of a wild giant panda that is fully white. A mountainous region in the north-western Chinese province of Shaanxi, called Qinling is a place where have been sightings of brown-and-white pandas.
“I think it’s quite random for it to be discovered, since albinism manifests itself so infrequently,” Li said. “This was recorded just in time.”
Photo credit: Sichuan Wolong National Nature Reserve Administration
Sources:
www.goodnewsnetwork.org
www.smithsonianmag.com
www.smh.com.au