Extremely Rare Deer Species Photographed In Berlin

BERLIN, CT — Like many folks in rural parts of Connecticut, Berlin resident Noemi Rivera enjoys the tranquility of living close to Mother Nature and the excitement of seeing wildlife in her backyard.

On Thursday, however, Rivera snapped a photo of something she'd never seen before — a rare deer near her Warner Road residence.

How rare? According to the National Deer Association, the deer Rivera captured on her camera is a type of white-tailed deer that, let's say, has more than just its tail covered in white.

In fact, the extremely rare Piebald Deer she took a picture of represents less than 1 percent of the total deer population, according to an article posted by the NDA.

Rivera, who lives close to the Moore Farm Homestead, regularly sees other deer as well as bears and bobcats near her property, where she's lived for the past 24 years.

On Thursday, though, she captured a mostly white deer with some brown splotches.

Her befuddling morning started with her dog barking.

"I was in the upstairs bedroom and all of a sudden our dog started barking and looking in the direction of the farm," Rivera told Patch Friday.

"I looked from the upstairs sliding door and saw that she was barking at something large with white and brown fur, but I could not recognize what it was.

"I came downstairs to get my long-lens camera and take a look, but by then, through our glass window, I saw the two deer in our backyard."

Rivera said one deer was normal-looking, but the other was white with some brown colorations.

"After I took some pictures while they continued moving through the yard, I researched and found out it was a Piebald Deer," she said.

According to the NDA, a Piebald Deer is one with myriad genetic mutations.

In the best case, it merely results in an unusual coat of fur.

The condition, however, can also result in more serious problems with deer, such as deformities, dwarfism, and crooked legs/hooves.

That didn't appear to be the case with Rivera's deer encounter, and her meeting with a rare animal caused the nature lover to cherish her good fortune.

"I was very excited and surprised since I have seen many deer species in my life, but none with this fur coloration," she said.

Living in a rural part of Berlin, Rivera said she and her husband regularly see wildlife, namely deer, foxes, turkeys, and birds. She said she's also seen a bear once and bobcats twice.

And, in 2020, Rivera captured on film a rare white squirrel, which drew some local press coverage five years ago.

Needless to say, rare animals are nothing new to Rivera.

No word on whether National Geographic will employ her to search the planet for other rare cryptids.

No doubt, Rivera has experience finding them.

For more information on the Piebald Deer, click on this link.