The North Carolina Zoo in the United States is the world’s largest natural habitat zoo, serving as a dwelling place for many rare and exotic animals. However, the staff were left astonished when they stumbled upon a rare pure white deer roaming within the zoo grounds. Describing the appearance of this white deer as a “miracle,” the zoo staff were amazed by its presence.
Located on the outskirts of Asheboro, North Carolina, the North Carolina Zoo spans 2,600 acres and boasts vast natural habitat environments, housing over 1,800 animals. The unexpected discovery quickly became a hot topic among the entire zoo staff, with those fortunate enough to witness the white deer becoming the envy of their colleagues.
In a recent blog post, the zoo stated, “The lucky employees who caught sight of this white deer made others green with envy. More and more staff members confirmed seeing this extraordinary little creature, with everyone marveling at its big pink ears and brown eyes against its snowy white body, making it particularly eye-catching.”
Although the zoo only publicly revealed this news last month, staff members actually first spotted the rare white deer earlier this spring. At that time, it was leisurely strolling and running through the woods alongside members of a group of wild white-tailed deer. Footage captured by the wildlife cameras showed that unlike other regular brown deer, this particular deer was entirely snowy white, resembling a creature from a fairy tale.
Public records indicate that white-tailed deer are the smallest species of deer in North America, named for the white underside of their tails visible when they run. Their fur is brown in the summer and turns gray in the winter.
The zoo noted that this deer suffers from a rare genetic condition called leucism, where certain parts of the body lack melanin pigment, leading to a lack of pigmentation in its skin and fur, while the color of its eyes and nose remains unaffected. In contrast, albinism affects all melanin production, resulting in the majority of albino animals having red irises.
According to data from the National Park Service, approximately one out of every 1,000 white-tailed deer fawns exhibit varying degrees of leucism, while only one in every 30,000 white-tailed deer might suffer from albinism.
In the blog post, the North Carolina Zoo wrote, “Although this special deer has leucism, fortunately, it does not exhibit symptoms such as skeletal deformities that could shorten its lifespan. With the protection of the deer herd, it is expected to live a relatively normal life.”
Reportedly, this is not the first time the zoo has glimpsed a white deer. According to veteran zoo staff members, in the late 1990s, there was also a sighting of a white deer. However, this new discovery still managed to excite both zoo staff and visitors.
Interestingly, the appearance of this rare creature coincides with the release of best-selling author Nicholas Sparks’ new book “Counting Miracles,” which is set against the backdrop of Purgatory Mountain, where the North Carolina Zoo is located. Coincidentally, the book also mentions a white deer appearing on Purgatory Mountain. Therefore, the zoo sees this white deer as a symbol of “miracles and resilience.”
The North Carolina Zoo emphasized that they will continue to make every effort to protect the wildlife within the zoo grounds to ensure that this unique little deer can peacefully enjoy a wonderful life as it flourishes among the other creatures.