Rare Albino Tufted Deer Spotted in Guizhou Mountains
Guizhou Leigong Mountain National Nature Reserve announced on August 5 that infrared cameras captured footage of a rare wild albino tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus), marking the first such sighting in Guizhou Province and the fifth confirmed record in China, according to Xinhua News. The tufted deer is a national second-class protected wild animal in China.
A Remarkable Discovery
The albino deer was first noticed in March 2026 when reserve researchers were reviewing recovered infrared camera monitoring data. Data review revealed that between July and October 2025, three monitoring points at elevations of 1,581 to 1,617 meters captured the albino individual six times, yielding six photographs and five video clips, as Guizhou Xinhua reported.
The reserve maintains 207 infrared cameras covering more than 400 monitoring grids across its territory. The footage shows the deer with grayish-white fur covering its entire body, with only a small amount of dark markings remaining on its head crest. Its upper canines protrude as fangs, and video evidence confirms it is an adult male.
“This tufted deer was an unexpected discovery during our routine monitoring,” said Peng Caichun, an engineer at the Guizhou Leigong Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration, in an interview with Tianyan News.
Health and Behavior Assessment
Despite its unusual coloration, the albino deer appears to be in excellent health. Peng noted that the deer retains light brown coloration on its forehead crest, its iris is dark brown, and its pupils respond normally to light, with no signs of photophobia or visual impairment. Its activity is concentrated during dusk and nighttime hours, indicating normal behavioral patterns.
From the monitoring footage, the deer exhibits a steady gait and agile movements, demonstrating good nutrition and the ability to walk and forage normally in the forest. The reserve’s relatively low predator pressure and the deer’s crepuscular activity patterns may be key factors in its healthy development.
Understanding Albinism in Wildlife
“Animal albinism is mostly caused by homozygous recessive genes on chromosomes, and inbreeding within populations greatly increases the probability of this trait appearing,” Peng explained. The appearance of albinism in the Leigong Mountain population may be related to the reserve’s complete forest ecosystem, complex terrain, relatively isolated habitats, and minimal human disturbance—factors that could limit gene exchange between different tufted deer populations.
This finding represents the first albino tufted deer record for Guizhou Province and the fifth confirmed record in China, following previous sightings in Hubei Shennongjia, Yunnan Gaoligong Mountain, Chongqing Yintiaoling, and Sichuan Muli. Related research findings were published on August 4 in the Journal of Wildlife, as Popyard News confirmed.
Conservation Significance
The tufted deer is a small deer species endemic to China, known for its distinctive features: no prominent antlers, only short horn buds covered by dense hair, and a cluster of black-brown hair on its forehead. Adult males grow sharp canine teeth that serve as defensive weapons. The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Leigong Mountain, the highest peak in the Miaoling mountain range at 2,178 meters above sea level, is renowned for its exceptional biodiversity. The reserve is home to national first-class protected species including the clouded leopard, giant salamander, and Taiwania, and contains one of only three natural Taiwania communities in China. Its rich amphibian and reptile diversity includes several endemic species, as Guangming Daily has documented.
What’s Next
Looking ahead, the reserve plans to continue tracking the white tufted deer’s activity range and social interactions. Researchers will collect feces or shed hair near monitoring points to conduct molecular genetic analysis, aiming to unlock the genetic code behind its albinism. This discovery provides important reference for regional wildlife population protection and genetic diversity research, offering a rare window into the mechanisms of albinism in wild deer populations and the health of the Leigong Mountain ecosystem.