A Thing of beauty, but also a freak of nature. A startling white deer has been spotted roaming the woods in the Forest of Dean over the Christmas period.Not the stuff of mythology or legend, it is in fact believed to be an fully-grown buck that was first spotted around Ruardean Woodside two years ago. Since then, there have been regular sightings by walkers and the shot taken above by a local photographer.
St Briavels resident Nick Davis was driving from Parkend to Lydney when he spotted the deer grazing in woods.
"In the woods I spotted something white up on the bank," he said.
"I turned around and there she was.
"There were a lot of rumours that there was only one white deer in the Forest but it seems that's not the case."
The deer was also recently spotted on the top of Harrow Hill, by the Holy Trinity, Forest Church, on Boxing Day by Mark Prosser, 26, who was driving to visit his family near Drybrook.
"It was just having a bit of a stroll," said Mr Prosser, from Gloucester. "It was a full-grown deer and was down among all the bracken grazing."
Natalie Beecham, from the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, said: "This will be a one-off deer in the whole population, rather than several deer."
She said white deer obtained their colour due to a chromosome abnormality.
"It's a bit of a freak of nature and it is rare to see them," she added.
Via : this is gloucestershire
Photo : www.richardblair.com