Albino panda displays its new golden fur

The world's only albino giant panda has resurfaced in Sichuan province with a brand-new look of golden-white fur, videos released by local authorities on Friday showed.

The first image of the distinctive creature was captured by infrared cameras in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in April 2019. With no markings on its body and red eyes, experts concluded the giant panda was an albino.

In February, the panda was once again spotted in the reserve rambling in a snowfield and making occasional stops.

After three days of trekking across forests and brooks, it was then caught by cameras on a mountain ridge about 1 kilometer away.

It took the panda about 10 minutes to reach the foot of the mountain before it vanished into the wilderness.

"It has grown up a lot and has a sturdy physique," said Tan Yingchun who works at the reserve's protection and research project on the white giant panda.

"Judging from pictures, the panda is now about 3 years old and the snow-white fur of its limbs has become tinged with a golden hue."

Since the albino panda was alone in both video clips, researchers at the reserve believe it has left the protection of its mother.

Li Sheng, a researcher at Peking University who specializes in bear studies, said the panda appeared to be in good shape with a lustrous coat.

Li said the albino mutation, a recessive gene, can inhibit melanin synthesis in an animal's body, making it appear white, golden-white or pastel golden.

Albinism usually does not affect an animal's physiology, but it may make the creature easier to be discovered and more sensitive to direct sunlight, he said.

Li said it was pleasing to see the wild albino panda was growing up healthy and safe, which was an indication the bear had adapted to its environment. The panda's movements may also indicate it is a female.

"Since it disappeared into the wild again, the animal may have migrated from its birthplace to the surrounding habitats, which is normal for adult female pandas," Li said.

"Therefore, it is likely to be a female wild panda who left her mother's domain in search of a new habitat."

The reserve plans to expand its monitoring and adopt technologies, including DNA testing, to learn more about the distribution of the albino mutation in the wild panda population. Infrared cameras have been installed in an area of about 15 square kilometers surrounding where the albino panda was first discovered.

Giant pandas are found in the mountains of Sichuan as well as Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. Last year, the population of wild giant pandas in China was 1,864, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.