Prepare yourself for a look at a rare albino caribou calf photographed possibly for the first time
An Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist photographed a rare albino caribou calf while counting calves north of Fairbanks. The sighting matters because the agency’s previous record of an albino calf dates to 1976, and that animal was not photographed.
The calf was seen in late June, with white fur, red eyes and pink hooves. Biologists do not know whether it survived beyond its first month; it was not collared, and its colouring may make it more visible to predators. Officials are keeping the herd’s name private to discourage people from disturbing the animal.
- Biologist photographs a rare white caribou calf in Alaska.
- The previous agency record was from 1976.
- Officials urge people to leave the calf undisturbed.
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Caribou are northern deer that live in herds across Alaska and other Arctic regions. Their calves are usually born in spring, and biologists count them to learn how the herd is doing.
Albino animals have very little pigment, which can give them white fur, red eyes and pink skin or hooves. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s records include one earlier albino caribou calf, seen in 1976 but not photographed.
A calf’s first weeks are a vulnerable time, and white colouring may make it easier for predators to spot. Biologists did not track this calf, so its later survival is unknown; officials have kept the herd’s location private to limit disturbance.