AN AMATEUR wildlife photographer has captured the first-ever image of a white Iberian Lynx.
Angel Hidalgo, 29, from Jaen has been taking wildlife photos across Andalucia as a break from his job in a construction materials factory.
He captured the image at an undisclosed location in the Jaen mountains on October 22 and described it as ‘the white ghost of the Mediterranean forest’.
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The images were confirmed by Lynx Project specialists to be a historic find- the first white Iberian Lynx to be officially documented in Spain.
Angel Hidalgo said: “I was checking one of my camera traps in a new place where I started tracking a few months ago and I observed something I couldn’t believe.”
“From there I began to dedicate all the time I had to it, I had to see this wonder with my own eyes,” he continued.
“Time went by, hours, days, weeks and even months without success, even on many occasions on the verge of throwing in the towel.”
Angel continued: “One bad morning after raining during the night, dawn broke and when walking, I suddenly in the distance saw a white lump that seemed to radiate its own light.”
He said that when he saw the lynx with its snow-white winter fur and piercing eyes, he was ‘paralysed’ and ‘couldn’t believe what he saw’.
Angel says he feels ‘very fortunate to witness this moment’ and added that his encounter with the white lynx ‘was an unforgettable memory for me, and it made me think about the importance of nature and conservation’
“May this long serve to inspire some to appreciate and protect the natural beauty of the world around us,” he proclaimed.
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