Rare white-faced fawn rejected by mother, finds new home

Wednesday, June 3, 2015, 7:25 PM - A rare white-faced deer is settling into its new life on a Michigan farm after it was rejected by its mother.

"Dragon" was born on the farm about a week and a half ago, with a white face, pink nose and blue eyes. This type of colouring is called 'piebald' and experts say it's a rare find in nature.

"In the wild, they are very very rare," farm owner Hillary Powell told AOL. "We have a Piebald [deer] and he came from a Piebald so she had a 50/50 shot of having another Piebald. So, it's not as rare [here] but in the wild it is."

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Had Dragon lived in the wild, its unusual colouring would make it difficult to blend into its surroundings, making it a target for predators. Animal experts suspect the mother rejected the fawn based on its appearance.

Lack of camouflage isn't the only detriment to Dragon's markings.

"[Deers] don't have that colour pigment, so normally they have a black nose," Powell told CNN.

"It's actually a detriment in the wild because if they don't have shade, their nose is very sensitive to the sun and [could] get sun burned."

Powell and her team at Cedar Springs Farm will continue to bottle-feed Dragon. When he's strong enough, they hope to introduce him to the public.

Sources: CNN | AOL