Rare White-Faced Deer Born, Quickly Abandoned By Mother
A highly unusual deer was recently born in Michigan, sporting a unique coat of fur, but the young fawn’s shock white face has unfortunately led to the animal being abandoned by other members of its species.
The juvenile deer is just two-weeks-old, according to Grind TV, but its life is already something of a sad story. Named “Dragon,” the deer was born at Deer Tracks Junction in Cedar Springs, Michigan, sporting a highly unusual coloration. Its pure white face is a rarity in the wild, and even rarer still in captivity. Referred to as a “piebald deer,” the fawn has unfortunately been abandoned by its mother, leaving handlers at the farm to care for it.
TODAY IN DEER™ A deer with a spooky white face whose mother doesn’t love it. http://t.co/OFUVrbLHUR pic.twitter.com/Z8Zj22xfmj
— Jon Mooallem (@jmooallem) June 4, 2015
The owner of Deer Tracks Junction, Hillary Powell, noted that while the fawn’s unique coat is unusual, it could also be a detriment in the wild, preventing the deer from easily hiding from predators. Possessing a pink nose and blue eyes, the deer is also susceptible to environmental dangers that others of its species aren’t.
“Normally they have a black nose,” Powell said. “It’s actually a detriment in the wild because if they don’t have shade, their nose is very sensitive to the sun and can get sun burn.”
Meet Dragon: A rare, white-faced deer that was rejected by its mother: http://t.co/ZjfCRszV5G pic.twitter.com/jO3lbA57oB
— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) June 3, 2015
The fawn’s mother recognized its inability to hide on an instinctual level, according to KSL, which led to the older deer abandoning its offspring just a few hours after it was born. Powell has now become the animal’s surrogate mother, and despite the cruel circumstances of its birth, she reports that Dragon has learned to frolic and prance around the facility like any of the other young deer that live there. The Powell family is currently bottle-feeding the deer, taking the place of its mother in order to keep it healthy.
West #Michigan farm is home to rare white-faced deer: http://t.co/H4RoM8V7J3 pic.twitter.com/HAxmwvxraU
— FOX 17 (@FOX17) June 2, 2015
The deer population in Michigan has faced another challenge recently, as chronic wasting disease was confirmed to be present in the region. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the disease does not impact humans, but often devastates populations of deer and elk, affecting their central nervous systems.
While Deer Tracks Junction opened to the public on June 3, it may be a few days before the public can meet Dragon. Powell and her family are currently caring for the white-faced deer and helping him build up strength before he can be put on public display.
[Photo by Deer Tracks Junction via Grind TV]
