A rare white monkey, believed to be a Philippine long-tailed macaque exhibiting a pigmentation anomaly, was spotted in a forest in Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat. Photo Courtesy of DENR Soccsksargen
MANILA, Philippines — For nearly the past ten years, a rare white monkey, believed to have been a Philippine long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis philippensis) exhibiting a pigmentation anomaly, has been moving through a forested area in Sultan Kudarat, quietly becoming a familiar sight to residents.
Its unusual appearance set it apart from the other macaques in the area. However, when videos and photographs of the animal began circulating widely on social media, curiosity quickly became a conservation concern.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region XII, together with the local government of Senator Ninoy Aquino town, has since taken steps to protect the white macaque and restrict access to the area where it is often seen.
It was initially presumed to have albinism. A field validation by a DENR XII composite monitoring team, however, found that the macaque had brown to dark brown eyes, suggesting that it may instead have leucism or another pigmentation condition that made it look white.
