In today’s constantly connected world of selfies and social media, photographic proof is everything.
Luckily, after a number of attempts, Windsor resident Tammy Dallyn finally got a clear shot of the unique-looking deer she’s been seeing in her backyard for years.
“I’ve been trying to get a picture of him for probably three years,” Dallyn told CBC News. “I’ve got some pretty foggy ones, but today I managed to get a great shot.”
She dubbed the deer “snowpants” after the large section of white fur that covers his lower half, and his rear legs in particular. She named him years ago, though it seems especially fitting after a recent illustration of how a dog should wear pants sparked a massive debate online.
Snowpants the deer is actually what’s known as a piebald, which describes any animal with large areas of white hair, feathers, or scales that lack pigment. Other animals that might exhibit this colouring include horses, birds, pigs, and cattle, to name a few.
Tom Preney, a naturalist at the Ojibway Nature Centre in Windsor, has seen this deer before, though he admits it’s rare: “It tends to be quite elusive, so not a lot of people get a chance to see it,” he told CBC News. According to Preney, when people do get the opportunity to see a deer like snowpants, they’re usually taken aback by it.
Have you ever seen a piebald deer before?