First albino giant panda caught on camera in the wild

May 28 (UPI) -- Researchers in China said a wildlife camera in a nature reserve captured an image of the first albino giant panda ever seen in the wild.

The Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province said the fully albino giant panda was caught on camera in April, but the photo was just released to the public this week.

Li Sheng, a researcher with Beijing's Peking University, said the panda was the first albino -- meaning its body completely lacks pigment -- ever spotted in the wild. He said the animal appears to be about one or two years old.

There are only about 1,864 giant pandas left in the wild, the World Wide Fund for Nature said.