In an extraordinary wildlife discovery, a young photographer from southern Spain has captured the first-ever footage of a white Iberian lynx, a genetic rarity never before recorded. The stunning video was taken on October 22 in the mountains of Ja\u00e9n province, Andalusia, by 29-year-old \u00c1ngel Hidalgo, who works at a construction materials factory and spends his free time tracking wildlife across Spain\u2019s remote hills.<\/p>\n
A once-in-a-lifetime sighting<\/p>\n
Hidalgo had set up a camera trap in the countryside a month earlier. While reviewing the footage, he noticed something unusual \u2014 a glowing, white figure moving across the frame.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was a camera effect,\u201d Hidalgo told National Geographic Espa\u00f1a. \u201cAnd from then on, I dedicated myself to the search for the lynx. I\u2019m still in shock.\u201d<\/p>\n
After several unsuccessful attempts, he finally saw the animal in person. \u201cOne 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,\u201d he wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n
His footage shows the lynx calmly perched among the rocks, its pale fur glowing softly in the morning light.<\/p>\n
A rare genetic phenomenon<\/p>\n
Experts believe the lynx has leucism, a rare genetic condition that causes partial or total loss of pigmentation <\/a>\u2014 unlike albinism, which also affects the eyes and skin.<\/p>\n Despite its beauty, scientists warn that the white coat may make the lynx more visible to predators and poachers. To protect the animal, the exact location of the sighting is being kept secret, as illegal hunting remains one of the greatest threats to the species.<\/p>\n From near extinction to recovery<\/p>\n