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An Iberian lynx with ultra-rare all-white fur has been captured on video for the first time ever in Spain.
The ‘mythical’ creature, one of the rarest species in the world, was seen in jaw-dropping footage sitting calmly in the mountains of Jaén, southern Spain, on October 22.
Spanish photographer, Angel Hidalgo, 29, had been photographing animals in their natural habitat, when he decided to set up a camera trap.
After sifting through photos that had been captured, he noticed a striking white animal and decided to track it down for a closer view.
‘I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was a camera effect, and from then on, I dedicated myself to the search for the lynx. I’m still in shock,’ he told Spanish National Geographic.
He explained that hours, days, weeks, and months passed without any result and he was close to giving up on the search for the rare feline.
Then last week, Hidalgo struck gold.
‘One ugly morning, after a night of rain, I was walking like so many other times, when suddenly I saw in the distance a white shape that seemed to radiate its own light,’ he wrote on Instagram.
The ‘mythical’ creature, one of the rarest species in the world, was seen in jaw-dropping footage sitting calmly in the mountains of Jaén, southern Spain, on October 22
The reason the specimen of lynx is white is still unknown
‘When I first saw a “white Iberian lynx” with its snowy winter fur and piercing eyes, I was paralysed, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
‘I felt very lucky to have witnessed this moment, to have been able to see this large lynx in its natural environment. Meeting this feline was an unforgettable memory for me and made me think about the importance of nature and its protection.
‘I hope this long story will inspire some to appreciate and protect the natural beauty of the world around us,’ he said.
The exact location of where the rare Iberian lynx was recorded remains a secret to protect the animal as illegal hunting continues to be one of the main threats to the species’ preservation.
It is not the only one, however. The decline in the wild rabbit population – its primary food source – over the last ten years has also jeopardised the Iberian lynx’s survival.
The Iberian lynx is thought to have leucism, a rare genetic condition that causes partial or total lack of pigmentation in its skin, but not in its eyes, as is the case with albino animals.
According to the WWF, the Iberian lynx has bold, dark spots and weighs about half the weight of the Eurasian species, with long legs and a very short, black-tipped tail.
Its fur is brown with a distinctive beard around its face and prominent black tufts on its ears.
However, conservationists warn that while the white Iberian lynx may look stunning on camera, it is unsuccessful at camouflaging in the wild.
The discovery of the white Iberian lynx is due to extensive conservation efforts to protect the Iberian lynx, which was saved from extinction after its population plummeted to below 100 big cats in 2002.
The reclassification of the Iberian lynx from endangered to vulnerable in 2024 was one of the most recent major biodiversity milestones in Spain.
In just one year, the population on the Iberian Peninsula increased by 18.8 per cent, reaching over 2,400 individuals, including 470 females, according to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).
Twenty-one organisations and various communities are participating in the programme, which aims to reach 3,500 individuals and 750 breeding females to move the species out of vulnerable status.
The animals have spread to geographical areas such as the Sierra Morena, the Montes de Toledo, the Spanish-Portuguese Guadiana Basin and Doñana, as well as to other places where they are being reintroduced, something that would have been unthinkable until a few years ago, such as the Sierra Palentina.
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This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .