The world’s first ever white Iberian lynx has been captured on camera
The incredible footage was taken following decades of conservation programmes on the Iberian Peninsula, which saw the species downgraded from “critically endangered” to “vulnerable”.
Angel Hidalgo set up a hidden camera in a rural region outside the city of Jaén in Andalusia, Spain.
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After noticing the animal’s striking coloration in the collected images, the amateur photographer then spent several months trying to track it down for a closer view.
“Time went by, hours, days, weeks and even months without success,” Angel told What’s The Jam.
“I was even on the verge of throwing in the towel on many occasions.”
He eventually got a clean view in the mountain range last Wednesday (22 Oct).
“One bad morning after raining during the night, dawn broke and when walking, I suddenly saw a white lump in the distance that seemed to radiate its own light.”
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He said he “couldn’t believe” what he saw and that he feels “very fortunate to have witnessed that moment”.
Angel called the wild cat a “white ghost of the Mediterranean forest”.
The animal (Lynx pardinus) has a striking pale coat due to a condition called leucism.
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The 29-year-old has not released the precise location to ensure the lynx’s safety and well-being.
Angel, who has been taking wildlife photos across Andalusia during breaks from his job in a construction materials factory, plans his outings according to the animals’ mating seasons.
His discovery has sparked great excitement among experts and nature lovers.
Conservationists confirmed it as the first white Iberian Lynx to be officially documented in Spain.
The secret location is currently being monitored by experts.
Hunting is a main threat to the species, along with the decline in the population of its primary prey, the European rabbit.
According to National Geographic, the Iberian lynx was reclassified from ‘critically endangered’ to ‘vulnerable’ in 2024, reflecting the success of the conservation programmes.
Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) estimates that the current population is around 2,400 with nearly 470 breeding females identified.
Their goal is to achieve a population of 3,500 lynxes and at least 750 fertile females in the coming years.
The progress is the result of 22 breeding programmes being coordinated across multiple autonomous communities in Spain and Portugal.
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