Westport’s Rare Piebald Deer Makes a Welcome Return to Town

On Wednesday morning, Westport resident Marc Messier had an unexpected encounter while observing deer near his backyard.

Among the group of deer, an albino looking doe stood out among the rest.

Turns out it was a rare piebald deer, a unique deer often mistaken for being half-albino due to its striking coat pattern of white and brown patches.

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According to the National Deer Association, Piebald deer are the result of a rare genetic mutation, and their distinctive appearance sets them apart from the typical brown-white coloration of deer in the area.

This wasn’t the first sighting of the piebald deer in Westport. In 2022, a similar deer was spotted off Sanford Road, but this time, the elusive animal came much closer, only feet away from Messier's property near the water. Piebald deer are rare, with less than one percent of white-tailed deer populations carrying the genetic mutation.

While visually stunning, some piebald deer can also have skeletal deformities, but this particular deer seemed to be in good health.

In Massachusetts, these animals have been seen in places like Amherst and Westfield, but Westport now adds itself to the list of local towns hosting this rare visitor. Though their rarity attracts attention, piebald deer are not a separate species, just an uncommon variation in the whitetail population.

Good news for Messier: coming across this special deer has it's benefits.

Meadowspirits.com says that seeing a piebald deer is often considered a powerful spiritual sign, symbolizing uniqueness, balance, and the blending of opposites. It can represent a message to embrace your individuality and find harmony between different aspects of life.

Some also believe that encountering this rare creature brings good fortune and signals a special connection to nature or higher realms​.

Either way, it's a fascinating find for this Westport resident, and an up-close capture of a Piebald, completely unaware of its rare existence.