Dipper and Mabel, Leucistic Whitetail Deer

From Pocono Wildlife Rehab

Meet Dipper and Mabel

These two leucistic fawns were found in Greentown in the middle of the road, shivering cold and completely wet from the rain.

A leucistic fawn is a baby deer that has a genetic condition called leucism, which causes a partial loss of pigmentation in the skin, hair and sometimes eyes. Their light or white coat stands out against natural surroundings and they are much easier for predators to spot, even when lying still. Their primary defense(invisibility) is essentially taken away

So while all fawns face high predation risk, a leucistic fawn is at a significant disadvantage from the start. It's not that they are weaker ,it's that they are more visible in a world where being unseen is everything. They are both being treated for hypothermia and Jessica is working non- stop on stabilization. A Dipper also has some mobility concerns which will be addressed once they are both stable.

Wow, Pocono is the next nearest rehab to me, and they are always tempting me to defect with cases like this!