Staggering!
Incredibly rare white hart caught on camera... by friends on a stag do
WHEN Damien Zoyo took his friends away to celebrate his forthcoming wedding, it turned into a stag do with a difference.
As they were walking in the Highlands, they spotted a rare white stag only yards away.
Legend has it that the animal brings good luck to those who see it – although it has also been called the ‘Judas deer’ because its bright colour gives its herd away to hunters.
Mr Zoyo, 0, from France, and his friends were in the Cairngorms when they saw a herd of 200 red deer.
It is unknown how many white deer live in the wild, but only a handful have been seen in Britain this century.
The majestic creatures were coveted by kings and feature in the mythology of different cultures, including the Arthurian legends.
The group also saw the animal on their return journey. Marc Brunelle, 44, who took these pictures, said: ‘It was magical. We got about 200 metres from them but they didn’t want us around so they started to walk away. But when we walked back later we saw them again.’
It is thought that this could be the first time a white red deer has been spotted in the wild in recent years. Charles Smith-Jones of the British Deer Society said: ‘It’s definitely a white red stag. This is very unusual.
‘In some cultures they are seen as messengers of the gods so they’re left well alone.’
Red deer, found in the Highlands and South-West England, usually have a rusty red coat which turns brown in the winter.
It is thought the white appearance is caused by leucism – partial loss of pigmentation – while a small number of deer are albinos.
It is unknown if the white deer spotted in the Cairngorms has albinism or leucism.
The stag party hope the sighting is a good omen for Mr Zoyo’s wedding to Caroline Aulen, 4, this month.
‘Messengers of the gods’