An Albino Deer in the Jungle: A Magical Creature and Where to Find Them

Abstract

Albinism is a condition in which an animal’s skin, feathers, or fur is lighter in color than that of other animals of that species. We report a unique case of complete albinism in a red-brocket deer in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. The individual, which we called a “magical creature,” lives inside a conservation area in one of the most deforested regions of the Brazilian Amazon. The survival of the albino red-brocket deer in the wild might be related to the fact that it is so rare! Possibly, its main predators, pumas and jaguars, are only familiar with colored red-brocket deer, so they might not be interested in eating a white one. Our article shows how important it is to monitor species diversity and to conserve habitats that support species diversity in endangered regions such as the Brazilian Amazon.