First leucistic Iberian lynx filmed in Jaén, Andalusia

A young Spanish photographer has captured what experts and the photographer say is the first recorded sighting of a leucistic Iberian lynx in the wild. The pale-furred cat was filmed on October 22 in the mountains of Jaén province in Andalusia by 29-year-old amateur photographer Ángel Hidalgo, who first noticed the animal while reviewing footage from a camera trap he set up in the area.

Leucism is a genetic condition that causes partial or total loss of pigmentation in skin and fur but does not affect eye color, unlike albinism. The animal in Hidalgo’s footage has snow-white fur and yellow eyes, and conservationists have kept the exact location of the sighting confidential to reduce the risk of disturbance or illegal hunting. Officials noted the absence of a tracking collar, indicating the specimen was not part of a monitored reintroduction program.

Hidalgo described his reaction in an Instagram post and to National Geographic España, saying, "I thought it was a camera effect," and that he dedicated himself to finding the animal in person. After weeks of searching, he encountered the lynx on a rainy morning and later posted video showing it perched calmly on rocky terrain....