An extremely rare pair of breeding deer was recently spotted on Long Island, according to reports.
A stunning pair of piebald deer, consisting of a fawn and an elk, has been found within the Long Island Pine Barrens in Suffolk County. Pix11 reported.
Piebald deer — which are born with a rare genetic condition that gives them patches of white hair mixed with their natural brown hair — appear in only about 1% of the white-tailed deer population, according to one study. Report of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study.
At least one of the stark white deer with small dark spots has been captured in a series of photos in a wooded backyard on eastern Long Island since December. Newsday reported.
“I was actually shocked when I first saw it,” says resident Logan K. He told CBS New York Earlier this month. “It would have been nice, actually, to know what it was.”
The mystery deer is born when two parents share a rare recessive piebald gene, according to experts.
Pix11 reported that the deer couple appears to be in good health and is expected to mate this spring.
Some states prohibit shooting piebald deer due to their rarity, and local experts on Long Island have warned the public to stay away from these creatures and avoid hunting them.