A truck driver in California came screeching to a halt when he spotted a white animal lying in the road up ahead.
As the driver approached, he realized it was a fawn — and her fur was entirely white.
“The finder said he thought she was a lamb at first because of her snowy white coat,” said Shasta Stratton-Quirk, of the Kindred Spirits Fawn Rescue in Loomis, California. The rescue took the orphan in immediately.
Most fawns lose their white spots while they age, but this fawn will stay white since she’s albino.
It’s not uncommon for albino deer to be found in the wild among a herd of brown deer, but it is unheard to find one so young without their mom, the rescue said.
That’s the first albino fawn to ever come into their care — and the little three-week-old deer was lucky she had not been injured by a car.
The fawn’s caretakers have nicknamed her Spirit.
Spirit is already demonstrating her determination to grow strong. She has a trained team of wildlife rehabilitators checking on her every step of the way. Diane Nicholas, the shelter’s president, rescues orphaned fawns each year who aren’t old enough to survive on their own.
“She is currently doing very well,” added Stratton-Quirk. “She is eating and gaining weight!”
Over the following six months, Spirit’s rescuers will help her learn how to forage for her food and socialize with other deer hoping she will be able to be released to the wild.
As there are already established groups of deer in the area with albinism, Spirit will be just fine.
To help with Spirit’s recovery, you can donate to Kindred Spirits Fawn Rescue. If you find a fawn you suspect to be orphaned, check out this guide.
Image credits: Kindred Spirits Fawn Rescue
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