Piebald deer spotted on Fredericton's northside
Department of Natural Resources biologist says piebald deer occur in less than 1% of the population
A deer that is almost completely white is wandering around the northside of Fredericton and the rare animal isn't exactly camera shy.
Sheila Goudreau said she was driving along Cliffe Street on Fredericton's northside on Monday when she spotted the deer.
She quickly returned with a camera and wandered into the woods to get a closer shot.
"We just went into the field slowly but they must be used to people or else they would have run away faster," Goudreau said.
The white deer is travelling with five or six other, normally-coloured deer.
Goudreau said it was "exciting" to see the deer walking around the northside of Fredericton.
Joe Kennedy, a big game biologist with the Department of Natural Resources, said the deer is a piebald deer and not a true albino.
Kennedy said piebald deer occur less than one per cent in the deer population, while albinos occur less than 0.1 per cent.
"DNR receives calls about piebald deer a few times each year, mostly in southern New Brunswick where there are higher deer densities," Kennedy said in an email.
"I have never heard of an albino deer in New Brunswick."