A Spanish photographer’s latest find is going viral after he came upon an extremely rare white Iberian Lynx in the wild, believed to be the first-ever sighting of the creature.
Ángel Hidalgo is an amateur nature photographer, but it seems Mother Nature was intent on putting him in the spotlight after he captured footage of an extremely rare wild cat.
Hidalgo was snapping photos in the Jaén mountain ranges of southern Spain when he came upon the creature: an Iberian Lynx with leucism, a genetic condition that results in partial pigment loss in the hair, skin, and feathers.
It differs from albinism in that it isn’t a total loss of pigment throughout the body. In this case, the lynx Ángel discovered doesn’t have red eyes — instead, it has snow-white fur and piercing yellow eyes, which seem to see through the camera lens right into viewers’ souls.
Rare white lynx has viewers convinced it’s not of this world
The photographer says he was reviewing camera ‘traps’ he’d set up in the mountains when he came upon the lynx. Not believing his eyes, he set out to photograph the animal in-person.
“From that moment on, I devoted all the time I had to it,” he explained in an Instagram post. “I had to see this wonder with my own eyes. Time passed: hours, days, weeks, and even months without success, and on many occasions, I was about to give up.”
Then, on a rainy morning on October 22, Ángel finally spotted the ghostly white lynx that had eluded him for so long.
“Suddenly, in the distance, I saw a white shape that seemed to emit its own light,” he said. “I was paralyzed… I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“I felt very fortunate to witness this moment, to be able to see this magnificent lynx in its natural habitat. The encounter with this feline became an unforgettable memory for me, and it made me reflect on the importance of nature and conservation.”
His video of the lynx is going viral on social media, sparking numerous posts speculating that the creature is some ancient spirit sending an omen to humanity. Some even doubt that it’s real, remarking that it seems far too human-looking and self-aware to be an actual animal.
For Ángel, this opportunity presents a moment to spread the word about wildlife conservation.
“I hope this long story can inspire others to appreciate and protect the natural beauty of the world around us,” he said.
The Iberian Lynx is native only to the Iberian Peninsula, home to Spain and Portugal. While no longer endangered, the wild cat is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and this rare white lynx is believed to be the only such variant ever spotted in the wild.
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