Raleigh Family Captures Footage of Rare Albino Deer

Now that’s something you don’t see every day!

"Is that Santa's deer?"

A young child asked a fair question after spotting a rare albino deer in their family's Raleigh, North Carolina, neighborhood recently.

Albino Deer
Photos by Michael Crowley/Getty Images

In a video submitted to WRAL, the cute kid can be heard asking what we're all thinking as a stark white deer strolls out of sight.

Albinism is a congenital condition defined by the absence of pigment. Albino deer have a completely white hide and pink eyes, nose, and hooves. According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, albinism is only observed in one in 30,000 deer. Piebald deer—deer that have blotches of white coloration on portions of their hide—are much more common.

There are approximately one million deer in North Carolina, which means roughly 33 albino deer reside in the Tar Heel State.

For the safety of this particular albino deer, WRAL did not disclose the deer's exact location.

While there are no restrictions on hunting albino deer in North Carolina, many hunters believe that anyone who kills a white deer will experience a long run of bad luck.

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Sources
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  1. Commonality of Albino Deer. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

  2. White-tailed Deer: A North Carolina Conservation Success Story. North Carolina Wildlife Federation.

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