Zoo’s Newest Wonder: Blue-eyed White Deer

SWAINTON – Ever see a Leucistic white-tailed deer? Now’s the opportunity to visit the Cape May County Park Zoo to see Cotton, a very rare specimen that is totally white with blue eyes.
Students who participated in the Cape May County Student Government Day Tue., April 24 were among the first to learn of the creature from Parks Director Michael Laffey.
Laffey said the odd deer is approaching his first birthday, and can be seen at the zoo’s North American Prairie area with the rest of the white-tailed deer and pronghorn.
The zoo received the deer from the N.J. Fish and Wildlife. Cotton will mark his first birthday in June, Laffey said.
Laffey explained that a Leucistic deer is often confused with an albino, which has pink eyes. Leucism is defined as the absence of pigmentary skin cells. They retain pigment in other organs such as the eyes. Because of that, Leucistic animals have colored eyes, he continued. “In this case, Cotton has blue eyes. Albinism is defined as the absence of melanin producing cells. Albino animals can appear diffusely pale-white and will also have pink eyes as melanin is the primary pigment in the iris of animals.
Leucistic animals like Cotton are very rare in nature, Laffey continued. Because of their lack of coloration they have lost their ability to camouflage themselves from predators. They rarely live very long in the wild, Laffey said.
Leucistic animals can have other congenital abnormalities that can make them less able to survive in the wild.
“Cotton is truly a very rare and special animal,” Laffey said.
In addition to Cotton, Laffey reported that on March 23, the zoo’s added twin ring-tailed lemurs born to Sal and Lily. Gender of the newborns has not been determined.
This is Lily’s fifth consecutive spring with infants, Laffey said. Previously she had a single male in 2008, a single female in 2009, a single male in 2010, and twin males in 2011.
The female ring-tailed lemur Jushy, Lily’s baby from 2009, was transferred to the St. Louis (Mo.) Zoo for a recommended pairing with a male. She was flown to that city on April 2.