After months of patient tracking, renowned wildlife photographer Marc Bérat has successfully captured extraordinary images of an extremely rare white roe deer fawn in the Marne region of France. The remarkable photographs showcase a leucistic fawn, a genetic rarity that occurs in only one animal among thousands, making this documentation a significant wildlife photography achievement.
Bérat, originally from Montmirail, spent nearly three months following this unique animal through the southwestern Marne countryside. The photographer explains that the fawn was born earlier this year in an area where he regularly documents the region's wildlife. "During nearly three months, I followed it in its movements. Its territory was very vast and the mother and her two fawns sometimes traveled great distances," Bérat explained. "I happened to observe them at spots two kilometers apart. The group of these three deer is very mobile, moving and evolving almost exclusively in the plains, near corn fields."
The challenging photography project required extraordinary patience due to the unpredictable nature of the deer family's behavior. "Their outing hours were very random and appointments very uncertain from one day to another," Bérat noted. It wasn't until September that he was able to obtain the images he desired. The final photoshoot proved magical, with Bérat capturing the white fawn alongside its sibling and mother under beautiful autumn lighting. "That evening was fantastic and I was able to enjoy superb proximity with the animals. In nature, everything is possible - patience and time always end up paying off," he reflected.
The white fawn is not albino but leucistic, an important distinction that Bérat carefully explains. "It's an animal called leucistic, because its pupils as well as the tip of its muzzle and its hooves are black, unlike an albino which presents total depigmentation of the animal," he clarified. This represents a genetic curiosity that is not a form of degeneration, affecting approximately one animal in several thousand.
Pierre Zacharie, an engineer with Veterinary Services and expert in large game pathologies and venison hygiene, provided additional scientific context to the Isère hunters' federation in 2021. He explained that leucism, or partial albinism, is an anomaly similar to albinism but limited to certain areas of the body. The cause is genetic, but the tyrosinase enzyme is present though deficient, resulting in only partial migration of melanin pigments while the animal's skin remains pigmented. Animals appear white or partially white, but their eyes, including the iris, hooves, and beaks retain their usual color. Leucism can be transmitted to the next generation without both adult parents carrying the anomaly.
However, being born white presents significant survival challenges for wild animals. As Bérat soberly observes, "Being born white, for a wild animal, is a curse and I am well aware of the threats hanging over its head." These animals become easier targets for predators, including humans who may view them as prized hunting trophies. A hunter who had killed such an animal commented in Chassons.com in 2015, "I think that any enthusiast like me dreams of such a trophy."
Bérat's documentation work represents more than just photography - it's a race against time to preserve the memory of this rare creature. "My quest was also a race against time, a frenzied race to forever make it immortal," the photographer concluded. The location of the fawn remains undisclosed to ensure its continued safety and tranquility. For those who appreciate the beauty of regional wildlife, there remains hope that this remarkable leucistic fawn might survive to live a long life, defying the odds that typically work against such genetically unique animals in the wild.
