THERE'S NO compelling reason to doubt the authenticity of these images, nor the claim that they depict a real albino fawn. Albino whitetail deer are rare, but they do exist and have been photographed on other occasions. One trait associated with true albinism is pink-colored eyes, which are easily distinguishable in the specimen pictured in the photos.
I have yet to find solid evidence confirming the rest of the story, however, including the three different locations named in the most popular variants: Bolivar Peninsula, Texas; West Liberty, Kentucky; and, in the example below, Stanley, North Dakota:
Alternate email example contributed by Ray O., Feb. 2, 2006:
FW: Albino fawn found in Stanley, ND
A very eventful day around here... A once in many lifetimes experience! Mark saw this lil' feller run out in front of a car, thought it was a lost baby goat. Stopped to get it, and WOW. A real Albino Whitetail Deer. Just hours old, but doing fine. No Moma deer around. Another car nearly hit it in front of Mark... Well,, he is THE neatest thing any of us ever saw. And such a 'freak of nature', that only 1 in more than a million are even born. He took his bottle of food, followed us around the house, doing great. So, we called the Zoo & Fossil Rim, who were both interested, but going to send him to a Rehab farm, at a vet that we have never gotte! n along with... So, one of Dad's best friends is our Game Warden. Kinda reluctantly, but, I called him and told him the deal. He came right over, of course... and assured me that he wouldn't take it to that vet, that he was going to 'go to higher levels' than that with him.. So, he is gone now. We got a lot of pix, and something we will never see again probably, so it was very cool. Maybe he will make it in captivity somewhere and be appreciated. So rare... Sure wanted to keep him tho. but, not the thing to do. And not LEGAL either ; But, here are a couple of pix to show ya. He was snow white, pink eyes, ears, nose and hooves. Kids called him POWDER. He was SO small. That is my shoe lying beside him... WOW..how cool is that??
Kevin Hoherz
Secondary Principal
Home of the "Blue Jays"
Stanley, North Dakota
This variant is easiest to disqualify, given that the sender whose signature appears at the bottom denied authoring it in a statement to the Grand Forks Herald in 2006. The text includes an offhand mention of Fossil Rim, a wildlife center located near Glen Rose, Texas, not North Dakota. Given that it's also referenced in the earliest copies of the message I received, I'm inclined to think the photos were probably taken not far from there. The location identified in the most commonly forwarded variant, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas, is within 350 miles of Fossil Rim.
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Sources and further reading:
Bogus E-Tale Gives Stanley, N.D. Man Unwanted Attention
Grasnd Forks Herald, 5 February 2006Whitetail Abnormalities
Whitetail WorldAlbinism: Just Basic Genetics
Patriot-News, 28 November 2005
Last updated 08/21/10
