mythical beast

[M@rk]

I was out and about in the new forest last weekend and came across a herd of deer, one of them was totally white. I whipped out my camera and managed to get this picture. I’ve never seen a white deer before only heard about them in books and films so it got me wondering are they quite common or do I have photographic evidence of a mythical beast

 

[leon-1]

Aaahhh.

A man in search of the white hart methinks.

I used to see them quite frequently near Powderham castle in Devon.

 

[risby]

I’ve never seen a white deer before only heard about them in books and films so it got me wondering are they quite common or do I have photographic evidence of a mythical beast

They are quite common now it seems. This Christmas my sister, who lives near the King's Forest, Thetford, told me there is an entire herd of white deer there. I thought this was most unusual but then about half the large herd, about forty deer, that I saw recently from a nearby wood in Dorset were white.


There arn't enough natural predators about I guess.

 

[fred gordon]

Hi,
Here in Scotland we have quite a few stories about white stags and hinds in red deer. I've seen one or two over the years but they are not common.

 

[Aliwren]

I have no idea about hunting etc but the white deer certainly stands out - perhaps in the past this was why they were rarer. I have seen several in the New Forest herds where they are managed and enclosed.

 

[Bob]

Quite a few of the fallow found in West Dorset are white or pale in comparison to your 'normal' ones.

I've yet to see any pale or white Sika though - anyone?

Bob

 

[British Red]

Mark,

Mythical or otherwise, pure white deer are at least unusual - great photo mate :You_Rock_

Red

 

[JonnyP]

We get quite a lot of white deer in St Leonards forest near Horsham. Amazingly they can be hard to find......................Jon

 

[torjusg]

White stands out and should normally not be an evolutionary advantage. But from all those centuries without predators may have given them an opportunity. Maybe humans are more reluctant to shoot white deer.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[benjamin.oneill]

We had a fantastic white fallow stag around etchingham/brightling in east sussex. Not as impressive, but i came across a white squirrel once, weird little thing

 

[benjamin.oneill]

White stands out and should normally not be an evolutionary advantage. But from all those centuries without predators may have given them an opportunity. Maybe humans are more reluctant to shoot white deer.

Torjus Gaaren

Well, on some of the local pheasant shoots, I know a white bird entails a hefty fine! A £50 tip to the keeper or on another one, a bottle of port. Mind you, I'm sure none of those are as bad as the ribbing for missing, or even worse, leaving it if it comes over your peg.

 

[risby]

White stands out and should normally not be an evolutionary advantage. But from all those centuries without predators may have given them an opportunity. Maybe humans are more reluctant to shoot white deer.

Torjus Gaaren

It's prevolution!!! When global warming stops the atlantic conveyor system that drives the gulf stream and keeps Britain warmer, the weather will be more like that in Labrador, Canada. The white deer will then be the most likely to survive being camoflaged against the snow. Their genes are actually predicting the future. Spooky!!!

 

[moocher]

I was out and about in the new forest last weekend and came across a herd of deer, one of them was totally white. I whipped out my camera and managed to get this picture. I’ve never seen a white deer before only heard about them in books and films so it got me wondering are they quite common or do I have photographic evidence of a mythical beast

i used to holiday about 20yrs ago in brockenhurst area there was a couple about then in a decent sized herd here in forest of dean theres a couple of fallow,one a buck was in local paper fireman cutting it from tennis net.

 

[jdlenton]

It's prevolution!!! When global warming stops the atlantic conveyor system that drives the gulf stream and keeps Britain warmer, the weather will be more like that in Labrador, Canada. The white deer will then be the most likely to survive being camoflaged against the snow. Their genes are actually predicting the future. Spooky!!!

LOL very good made my day that


M@rk nice photo

James

 

[Carcajou Garou]

Probably the lack of predatory animals allows these "white/albinos" to pass on their genes to the pool with some success. I was allways told that an old "albino" of a species was by nessecity "smarter" in being able to evade predators for such a long time as it had definate blending in problems. The "albinos" are different than the Polar Bear that uses the pale cream colouring to actually blend in the background. The deer in the picture looks to have dark eyes and a black nose makes it white, not specificly "albino" also in BC there is a coastal bear "ghost bear" that actual is cream coloured as opposed to an "albino" this ghost bear has dark pigments in the eyes, nose, claws etc...

 

[elma]

the deer in the picture are fallow, the white one is also fallow these are normally park bred and not usually found in the wild as the pelage offers no camoflage.

Ian

 

[pierre girard]

I was out and about in the new forest last weekend and came across a herd of deer, one of them was totally white. I whipped out my camera and managed to get this picture. I’ve never seen a white deer before only heard about them in books and films so it got me wondering are they quite common or do I have photographic evidence of a mythical beast

Great photo! The next deer herd to the north of us has a prediliction for white deer. They don't seem to be albinos in that some of the deer are piebald (half white, half brown), a very odd thing to see in deer. The white deer don't generally fair well as they make a tempting target for hunters and wolves. The other deer don't treat them well either - apparently racist.

PG