Overview
- Nature photographer Ángel Hidalgo captured clear photos and video of a white‑coated Iberian lynx on October 22 in the Sierra de Jaén.
- Life Lynx Connect coordinator Javier Salcedo says the animal is neither leucistic nor albino but shows a temporary depigmentation, citing an earlier Andalusian case that later regained normal coloration.
- The individual, known as Satureja and born in the wild in 2021, is being closely monitored, its precise location is withheld for protection, and technicians report normal behavior with no known health risk.
- Investigators are examining environmental factors such as possible agrochemical exposure in olive groves or stress‑related disruption to melanin synthesis, with pheomelanin more affected than eumelanin, and they are considering individual hypersensitivity.
- Some outlets misreported the case as leucism and social media circulated sensational claims, but program officials urge careful reporting and emphasize that inquiries are ongoing.