ASHEBORO, N.C. — A beautiful, rare, all-white deer was spotted on the North Carolina Zoo property!
This special creature is a leucistic whitetail deer fawn.
Leucism, is a condition that causes faulty melanin production, resulting in the all-white coat.
Leucism is different than albinism as this deer has pigments in his eyes and his muzzle. This allows him to see better and more easily detect movement than an albino deer would.
About 1 out of every 1,000 deer experience some degree of leucism, according to the North Carolina Zoo. This can appear as having partially white and brown features or being white all over like this special guy.
Some leucistic deer have skeletal deformities, but the NC Zoo has assured the public that this white fawn does not have them.
This white fawn is part of the NC Zoo's resident herd that roams around their 20 to 30 acres of fenced-in land.
What makes this little guy's appearance extra special is that (spoiler alert!) a white deer was weaved into the plot of Nicholas Sparks' most recent book, "Counting Miracles," which takes place in Asheboro!
You can learn more about the Zoo's special all-white deer sighting by clicking here!
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