A rare white deer, believed to be one of only a handful in the UK, has been photographed grazing on the lawn of an office in Newton Stewart, Dumfriesshire. The white fallow deer buck was captured by Graham Forsyth as he passed the Scottish Natural Heritage office.
White deer were once revered in ancient Celtic mythology and were even associated with unicorns. The animal's white appearance is caused by leucism, a rare genetic condition that reduces the pigment responsible for colour.
A spokesman for Scottish Natural Heritage commented: 'White deer are rare but actually seeing one is even rarer. White examples turn up in a range of species including squirrels, blackbirds, foxes, and various marine animals, as well as deer.'
The spokesman added: 'For potential prey species this can pose an extra challenge if they have lost the advantage of camouflage and predators can see them very easily. For a predator the reverse is the case and prey will see them coming, making it harder to catch a meal. For these reasons the white form has a clear disadvantage and is therefore much less likely to pass on its genes.'
However, the deer in the photo is expected to be fine, as it has few predators to worry about and prefers a vegetarian diet.
