JUST weeks after the killing of a rare white red deer stag in West Devon, a young white deer calf has been spotted, sparking hopes the animal may have sired a youngster. The shooting of the stag, nicknamed Snowy, shocked farmers in the area, who had become used to seeing the beautiful creature whenever it crossed their land. But last week gamekeeper Pat Carey announced he had spotted and filmed a white deer calf in the same area. Mr Carey said the location was being kept secret, in order to protect the rare animal. He said: ?It was in exactly the same area as the old boy. It was clear as crystal ? we got to within about 40 or 50 feet of him. ?He was running with about 20 deer and I?m not 100percent sure, but about 95percent certain it was a stag calf. You can?t really tell but if I had to put money on it I?d say it was a stag.? Mr Carey believes the calf was probably born in June, making him the same age as Snowy was when he was first spotted. ?We couldn?t believe it when we saw him, he was so, so white, you would have thought he?d been washed in Persil ? without sounding wet and wimpish, it was like something out of a fairy tale to see. ?I?m 99percent sure he?s a little Snowy.? Mr Carey said Snowy had sired many deer ? previously, all red ones. He was hoping to film the white calf regularly as he grew up ? although catching sight of the youngster could prove difficult. ?I could go out 50 or 100 times and not spot him ? we didn?t see Snowy for nearly three years after we first saw him, then we would see him regularly,? he said.
