Photos showcasing a rare sighting of dazzlingly purple panda crabs found at a national park in Thailand recently went viral.
The pictures were posted on Kaeng Krachan National Park’s Facebook page on 1 Aug.
Accompanying the photos, the Facebook caption states that the Princess Crab emerged once again, this time in purple.
Source: Kaeng Krachan National Park on Facebook
“Nature still hides beauty and enigmas for those who seek it,” the park wrote.
Comments flooded in with people unanimously agreeing that the crab was strikingly beautiful.
According to Matichon, these purple panda crabs are also known as “Princess Crabs” or “Sirindhorn Crabs”. They are named after Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the second daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, and the younger sister of King Vajiralongkorn.
Source: Kaeng Krachan National Park on Facebook
The park’s chief noted that crab sightings are an indicator of the park’s healthy ecosystem, echoing a sentiment he shared earlier this year in another spotting of the animals.
In July, officials had also spotted white panda crabs at the same national park.
Source: Kaeng Krachan National Park on Facebook
Similar to the sightings of its purple counterparts, the white crabs were spotted by a park officer while on patrol.
The park shared photos of the white-shelled crab with dark purple legs on 6 July.
The caption read: “When exploring the forest, keep your eyes sharp because nature always hides its wonders in plain sight.”
Kaeng Krachan National Park is Thailand’s largest national park. It is located in western Thailand, along the border with Myanmar.
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Featured image adapted from Kaeng Krachan National Park on Facebook.