When we think of a Puma, Cougar, or Mountain Lion—they have many names!—we think of their brownish-yellow or greyish-red coats.
Making the pure white puma cub born in the Thomas Belt Zoo in Nicaragua all the more special!
A couple of months ago, a Puma mother gave birth to three cubs, two of them with brownish-red coats covered in spots and exactly what you would expect Puma cubs to look like! The third cub, however, had a surprising appearance.
Itzae, meaning “gift from God” was born with a snow-white coat, pink nose, and light eyes. Surprising everyone working at the Thomas Belt Zoo in Nicaragua, yet her mother loves her all the same!
Itzae’s unique appearance is due to a genetic mutation called albinism. Much the same as when this occurs in humans, animals born with albinism lack the pigments that give them color.
Itzae is the first albino Puma cub to be born in Nicaragua and according to the veterinarian at the Thomas Belt Zoo, only one of four to be born in captivity in the world.
Although Itzae is eating, healthy, and adorable, her mutation makes her vulnerable to sunlight due to her lack of pigmentation. Luckily she is healthy and lives in a place where she can be helped and cared for.