A white panther may therefore be a white puma, white jaguar or white leopard.
Of these, white leopards appear to be more common although still very rare.
Unlike black panthers, they have not been selectively bred. White panthers may
be the result of albinism, leucism or the chinchilla mutation.
-From Wikipedia
A wild-caught albino leopard called Jinx was apparently kept at the Central
Park Zoo, USA between 1935-1960 and had originated from Mozambique. Descriptions
suggest the markings were visible in certain light. White leopards were apparently
born at Los Angeles (USA) Wildlife Weighstation; these were leucistic i.e. white
but with normal colour eyes. They developed spots as they grew older.
During the 1960s, one of two cubs born to a pair of normal spotted leopards
at Colorado's Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Park was pure white, but apparently
turned black by 5 months old. In May 1978, a pair of white leopard cubs were
born to normal (spotted) leopards at Rome Zoo. Both had to be hand-reared. The
male cub was whitish with light grey spots and died shortly afterwards due to
internal abnormalities. The female survived and was snow white in colour. As
she grew older, her coat turned pale grey and the spots became visible.
A 1993 issue of the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society contained
an article listing 11 instances of albino, or partial-albino, leopards noted
between 1905 and 1965. Most are from the Bihar and Madhya Pradesh areas of India.
Unlike melanism, albinism would make a leopard more conspicuous and a less successful
predator. Being both unusual and conspicuous, albino leopards would have fallen
victim to big game hunters' guns.
A white, but apparently not albino, leopard cub born in Africa was sold to a
zoo in Japan in the spring of 1999 and is called "Nana". Two leopard
cubs were born at the Wildlife World Zoo in Arizona; one, named "Isis"
was believed to be the only white leopard to be born in captivity. Several experts
confirmed that she has white skin, though she was also described as having spots.
Blood tests on Isis and her parents were planned if she thrived and if her skin
remained white. Claws 'N' Paws Wild Animal Park, Pennsylvania also claimed a
white leopard
-From Wikipedia
Ghost jaguars have been reported in Paraguay, South America. They have
greyish white fur with faint markings on the flanks.
Albino jaguars with almost invisible markings have also been reported. Albino
and partially albino jaguars have been reported from Paraguay.
Spanish soldier-naturalist Don Felix de Azara described a jaguar so pale
that its rosettes were only visible in certain lights. This corresponds to the
pattern found on albino leopards . Rengger described a greyish white skin
with faint shades of markings on the belly and flanks, the claws had been white
according to the hunter who shot the animal.
-From Wikipedia
A white puma has been photographed. It was not albino but was leucistic (white,
but with pigmented skin and pigmented eyes).
A white puma was reported several times in 2001 at Red Rock Canyon National
Conservation Area and was identified from photographs and reports as an albino
puma.
-From Wikipedia