Qizai, a rare brown and white giant panda, is seen at the Qinling research center of giant panda breeding in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Dec. 4, 2019. The Qinling Mountains, a natural boundary between the country's north and south, are home to a huge variety of plants and wild animals such as giant pandas, golden monkeys, crested ibis and takins. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen)
A wild brown giant panda was caught on camera in the Qinling Mountains in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the 10th time the extremely rare panda subspecies has been spotted in the area.
According to the Shaanxi provincial administration of the Giant Panda National Park, the brown panda was captured by an infrared camera set up near the mouth of the Ta'er River in Zhouzhi County at an altitude of 2,088 meters on April 16, and again by another camera in the same area at an altitude of 1,958 meters on April 30.
The world's first brown panda was discovered in 1985 in the Qinling Mountains. All recorded photographs of wild brown pandas were taken in the area.
Experts say there are many theories about the origin of brown giant pandas, such as gene mutations and atavism. At present, no final conclusion has been reached and further study is needed.
