World’s first-ever white Iberian Lynx spotted in Spain, video stuns the Internet: ‘Fought brink of extinction’
The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is already one of the world’s most endangered felines.
Once on the brink of extinction, the Iberian lynx population was reduced to fewer than 100 individuals in 2002 (Image source: @Breaking911/X) A photographer in Spain spotted the world’s first-ever white Iberian lynx, one of the rarest cats. The animal exhibits a striking pale coat due to a condition called leucism.
Leucism causes a partial loss of pigmentation in an animal’s fur, resulting in a white or pale appearance, but unlike albinism, it does not affect the eyes. The result is a hauntingly beautiful wildcat that appears almost ghostly against its natural surroundings, EuroWeekly reported.
The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is already one of the world’s most endangered felines. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the species is “heavily spotted and weighs about half as much as the Eurasian lynx, with long legs and a very short tail with a black tip.” Its usual coat is “tawny with dark spots,” and it’s known for its distinctive facial “beard” and black ear tufts.