White stag like a ghost among the heather

Published on Sunday 10 February 2008 20:38

IT IS like a ghost fleeting among the heather, a beast of myth whose precise location must be protected from those who would do him harm.

The white stag, an animal of such rarity that it was revered by the ancient Celts as a messenger from the afterlife, has been seen on the west coast of Scotland.

These exclusive pictures show the rare beast grazing quietly among young red stags, unaware of his celebrity status as the only known example in Britain.

The animal was spotted during a recent field trip by Fran Lockhard, the partnership manager with the John Muir Trust, who photographed and filmed the white stag.

"It was amazing to crawl up so close to such a magnificent looking animal," she said. "He looked almost ghost-like next to the group of young red stags that he was mixing with. I am thrilled to know that there is a white stag roaming free out there in the Scottish Highlands. We will be watching this animal with interest, particularly as he will be reaching his full potential in the next couple of years."

The exact location of the sighting is being kept a secret for fear of putting the animal at risk from bounty hunters. The last-recorded wild white stag in Britain was shot by poachers in October last year on the border between Devon and Cornwall.

It was decapitated and its 300lb carcase found hanging from a tree. It is thought the stag's head, along with its antlers, had been claimed as a trophy and could be mounted and possibly sold for thousands of pounds.

White deer are often mistakenly thought to be albinos, but their unusual condition is caused by leucism, a rare genetic pattern that causes a reduction in the pigment in the animal's hair and skin. Unlike albinos who have characteristically red eyes, deer with leucism have normal colouring in their eyes.

A spokesman for the Deer Commission for Scotland said: "White red deer are rare, but not unheard of."

IT'LL BE ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT

WHITE deer are potent figures in the mythology of many cultures and it is said to be very bad luck to kill one.

The Celts considered them to be messengers from the other world. They are closely identified with unicorns and their appearance is said to herald some profound change in the lives of those who encounter them.

In the Chronicles of Narnia, the White Stag is fabled to grant wishes to whoever catches him. There is a Scottish dance called The White Stag of Arran and, according to local tradition, a white stag is said to appear near Brodick Castle when one of the Hamilton chiefs dies to herald him to the other side.