Overview
- Nature photographer Angel Hidalgo recorded the pale lynx in the mountains of Jaén, showing a cream‑white coat with the species’ typical ear tufts and facial ruff.
- Experts who reviewed the footage identified the condition as leucism rather than albinism, noting normal eye color and a partial loss of pigment.
- The video circulated widely online, drawing global attention from wildlife observers and the public.
- The sighting comes as the Iberian lynx rebounds from fewer than 100 individuals in 2002 to roughly 2,000 by 2025 after sustained captive breeding, habitat restoration and EU‑supported projects.
- Conservationists caution that a white coat can be poor camouflage in the wild, and they note ongoing regional resistance to reintroduction efforts from farming and hunting interests.