Rare albino deer spotted in Southern Illinois

RANDOLPH COUNTY, Ill. - A new video shared with FOX 2 captures a rare sight: A group spotted an animal believed to be an albino deer Thursday evening in southern Illinois.

Cassey Dowdy shared a video from Randolph County that appears to show an albino crossing a road into the wilderness.

In the video, the deer was spotted without antlers and observed to be casually roaming around the street.

Dowdy tells FOX 2 she saw it while driving a few friends home from her birthday celebration Thursday evening. She says she was in disbelief at the rare sighting.

Albinisim is a recessive genetic trait, meaning both the doe and buck must carry it for it to appear in their offspring. The rare condition can be associated with a lack of pigment in the skin, tissue, and hair, along with a pink nose and eyes, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Spotting an albino deer is exceptionally rare. A true albino deer occurs only once in 100,000 births, according to Deer Management at Buck Manager.

Muted video from Dowdy's encounter is attached to the top of this web story.