That’s No Goat: Rare Piebald Deer Fawn Shows up in Oregon Backyard

When neighbors started catching glimpses of a cute little white animal in their yards in Salem, Oregon, many thought it was a baby goat. That would have been interesting enough, but the reality was even more interesting. The animal was really a piebald deer fawn, and Andrew Stolfi got some photos of the animal in his south Salem backyard early last month.

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Stolfi and his family are used to seeing animals in their yard, which backs up to the woods. Deer are among the animals that come visiting the family’s backyard, but only 1% of blacktail deer have piebaldism, making the little white deer fawn a very rare sight.

“I had a friend over and around dusk we sat down at the fire pit in our backyard, which is right on the edge of the woods,” Stolfi told the Salem Statesman Journal. “I noticed a small deer curled up 25 or so yards away. I remember thinking it was a bit strange how bright the deer looked considering how dark it was.”

Piebaldism is a genetic condition in which animals have patches of fur or skin that lack pigmentation, often appearing white. Compared to albino animals, which have all-white fur and red eyes, piebald animals often have spots on their bodies.

See the rare piebald deer fawn in an Oregon backyard here:

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