Rare albino stag spotted in Malaga Province

Stag

The stag was spotted in a pine forest in Malaga province. Image: Flickr by Keith Williamson

The video which Club de Caza, Spain’s largest hunting magazine, obtained shows the stag in all his glory, his coat is completely white and his antlers are pale pink as opposed to the usual brown.
You watch the amazing video here.
According to Club de Caza the stag is extremely rare as it is estimated that only one in 30,000 deer suffers from albinism and they are highly prized among hunters. As far the magazine knows the video was shot in Malaga province. It is not the first time the animal has been seen but the magazine says this is the best recording of it they have seen.
Albinism is the result of cells that cannot produce melanin, the pigment needed to colour skin, scales, eyes and hair. This genetic condition gets passed to offspring when both parents carry the recessive gene. When albinism is present, the animal can appear white or pink.
Aside from appearance, these animals often have problems related to albinism, such as issues with eyesight. Melanin helps eye development, so without it, irises, retinas, eye muscles and optic nerves may not form properly. This can cause issues with focusing, depth perception and tracking in the albino critter.
Since melanin helps protect skin from sunlight, lacking the pigment means a higher risk of developing melanoma. This causes trouble for sun-basking species, often leading to death for the albino animal.


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Deirdre Tynan

Deirdre Tynan is an award-winning journalist who enjoys bringing the best in news reporting to Spain’s largest English-language newspaper, Euro Weekly News. She has previously worked at The Mirror, Ireland on Sunday and for news agencies, media outlets and international organisations in America, Europe and Asia. A huge fan of British politics and newspapers, Deirdre is equally fascinated by the political scene in Madrid and Sevilla. She moved to Spain in 2018 and is based in Jaen.

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