Giant pandas are a species unique to China, with their main habitats in the mountainous areas of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. They are loved by the people of the world due to their cute and endearing appearance. Giant pandas are commonly characterized by their black and white coloration, but there are also giant pandas with white and light brown coloration, which are also very rare.

white giant panda

Qinling south slope Shaanxi Foping National Nature Reserve is currently one of the densest panda protection areas in China. Multiple white giant pandas have been discovered in this protection area. According to relevant information, the earliest record of discovering white giant pandas in this area was on November 22, 1990, when the staff of the protection area was conducting an outdoor patrol and discovered it. This giant panda was about 0.7 meters tall, except for the eye circles and limbs, the body was all white. Subsequently, two more were discovered in 1991 and 1992.

On May 25, 2019, the Shwelong National Nature Reserve Administration in Sichuan publicly released the world's first white giant panda photo, which was captured by a handheld infrared trigger camera in mid-April. The image clearly shows the panda's fur all white, with red eyes, and is passing through a dense broadleaf forest. According to the researchers, this panda is a young panda, about 1-2 years old. This panda is a white mutant individual.

According to relevant experts, the giant panda captured in Wulong, it indicates that there are 'white mutation' genes in the panda population in the Wulong area. This white mutation has no obvious impact on the panda's activity and reproduction.

light brown giant panda is a relatively rare variant of the giant panda. By 2019, there have been a total of six light brown giant pandas recorded in the world, and the discovery locations are all one of the key panda habitat areas in Shaanxi Qinling Mountains.

The first light brown and white giant panda was discovered by local villagers in Foping County, Shaanxi, on March 26, 1985, in a valley at an altitude of about 1200 meters in the Yuebu Township of Foping County. After treatment by medical personnel, it quickly recovered and was sent to live in Xi'an Zoo, and was named 'Dan Dan' by Professor Pan – 'Dan' rhymes with 'single', the first 'Dan' represents 'red', because its fur is light brown with a hint of red; the second 'Dan' takes 'single, unique' meaning. At the time, 'Dan Dan' was 13 years old, and weighed more than 60 kilograms.

Female giant panda 'Dan Dan' died at 10:35 am on September 7, 2000, in Xi'an Zoo. At the time of death, 'Dan Dan' was 29 years old (equivalent to an elderly human of 80 years old). 'Dan Dan's' specimen is still preserved in Foping National Nature Reserve.

second light brown and white giant panda

In February 1990, a light brown and white giant panda was discovered in the Foping Nature Reserve by staff, but when staff tried to approach and observe it, it ran into a dense bamboo forest and disappeared.

sixth light brown and white giant panda

In June 1991, staff members of the Foping Nature Reserve, Liang Qi Hui, discovered a black and white giant panda and a light brown and white giant panda in a pine forest in the south slope of the nature reserve at an altitude of more than 2600 meters. The black and white giant panda was about 75 kilograms, and the light brown and white giant panda was about 15 kilograms. They walked side by side in the bamboo forest. The staff judged that they were a mother and son.

The fourth light brown and white giant panda was discovered in 1992 in the Longqing Nature Reserve near Foping, named 'Zhan Zhan'.

On November 1, 2009, staff members of Foping Nature Reserve discovered this cub during a routine mountain patrol in a bamboo forest. The cub had light brown and white fur, and its mother had black and white fur. This is the fifth light brown and white giant panda recorded in the world, and the fourth light brown giant panda discovered in Foping Nature Reserve. This light brown and white giant panda was named Seven.

Previously discovered light brown and white pandas were only light brown and white fur, Seven not only has light brown fur, but also completely light brown skin, which is a particularly rare phenomenon.

seventh light brown and white giant panda

On March 18, 2018, a healthy adult wild light brown and white giant panda individual was photographed at an observation point in the Shaanxi Longqing National Nature Reserve, with a total of 3 photos and 10-second video.

Light brown and white fur is considered by scientists to be a primitive trait of many animals. The light brown and white giant panda found in Qinling is likely a regression phenomenon, which is related to the unique geographical climate conditions in the area. The soil and water in the area may also affect the color of the panda's fur.

Regardless of the white and light brown and white giant pandas are rare in the world, their discovery broke the 'monomorphic' (i.e. the fur color is black and white) saying in panda research history, which has significant scientific significance.

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