Rare white deer seen in Manchester area

  • 2015-11-10
A ghost deer was spotted in Manchester near Vernon by resident Dawn Meagher, who mistook it for a llama initially and took photos of it.

Ghost deer make up 2% of white-tailed deer and are not a common sight for the general population. According to Andrew LaBonte, a wildlife biologist for the state, the so called "piebald anomaly" can have a diverse amount of white fur on its body. Some are nearly all white. The one Meagher saw had only a black mask and some patches.

Meagher did not want to disclose where she found the deer for fear that a hunter would seek it out. Chad Stewart, who works for the Department of Natural Resources as a deer management specialist, stated that the genes that make the deer white often accompany other genes that shorten the deer's lifespan, thus contributing to the species’ rareness.

This marks the second time Meagher has seen the deer, who has been told by certain parties that they represent good fortune. Some cultures consider white deer to be messengers between the mortal realm and the afterlife.

A picture of the white deer would make unique and quaint Postcards for the town. A postcard printing company could take Meagher's photo or one from another source, fine-tune the photo through computer software, and Print high-quality versions of it.
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