foundationmare mentioned the white deer near here in her comment yesterday. I thought that they deserved a topic of their own. The really interesting thing about them is that they aren't albino, they carry a recessive gene that makes them white, but, they have brown eyes, not the pink eyes of the albino.
They are on the old Seneca Army Depot, in the middle of the Finger Lakes. This area is completely fenced in, and, this is what has allowed the deer to multiply. Hunting has been allowed, to keep the population under control, but it was very strictly controlled.
Since the depot closed, in the mid '90's, there has been continuing concern about this herd. There has already been some commercial development on the land, and many people are afraid that the importance of the deer will be forgotten, in the push to develop. It is very important that this property continue to be fenced, as the deer would not survive without it's protection. Though there aren't many natural predators, it is feared that they would be hunted to the point where they would eventually disappear.
There has been a 501(C)(3)set up to protect them "Seneca White Deer, Inc." and you can find their website here.
http://www.senecawhitedeer.org/
This site will tell you all about the organization, and the deer. They're beautiful animals, and worthy, in my opinion, of preservation.
Photos by Leland Brun.
3 comments:
They are very beautiful! Once in a while a white deer (most likely albino) will show up around here but the hunters go nutsy and have to shoot it for a trophy. Oops - my prejudices are showing! hee hee
oh my, aren't they just gorgeous. I don't think we have any around here. plenty of brown ones but not white ones.
They are beautiful and have a right to continue to live on their land. It is good of you to mention them and care about their fate. I hope the 501 (c) can help and I will check them out right now.
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