An albino puma was born in a zoo in Nicaragua, being the first Central American country to see this rare type of cub born in captivity.
The tiny, bright white puma, with a small pink nose, was born at the Thomas Belt Zoo in Juigalpa and is said to be only one of four in the entire world, according to zoo veterinarian Carlos Molina.
Stunning photos show the unnamed pup standing out alongside his two spotted and fawn-colored siblings as they snuggle close to his mother.
The unnamed animal is healthy and eating well, but the zoo’s veterinarian cautioned that it is still early and that albino cougars require extra care and are vulnerable to sunlight.
The young cougars are now kept inside a sealed cage so that the mother does not become stressed or confused by human smells with that of the newborns, which could cause her to attack them.
An albino puma was born at the Thomas Belt Zoo in Jiigalpa, Nicaragua, marking the first time this rare type of cub was born in Central America.
The photos show the unnamed pup standing next to his two spotted and fawn-colored siblings, as they snuggle close to his mother.
The tiny, bright white puma, with a small pink nose, is believed to be one of only four ever born.
The young pumas are now kept inside a sealed cage so that the mother does not become stressed or confused by human smells with those of the newborn.
Her mate is also kept in a separate enclosure, as male cougars are known to kill their young.
Molina has not had any physical contact and the sex of the litter is unknown.
Once the cats are three months old, the zoo plans to exhibit them to the general public.
Thomas Belt receives between 50,000 and 60,000 visitors each year, according to zoo management.
Pumas are found throughout the Americas, from the high Andean region of southern Peru to the jungles of Central America.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature says cougars have the largest geographic range of all land mammals in the Western Hemisphere, although they were virtually eliminated from the eastern half of North America after European colonization.