Rare albino deer spotted in Farmington Hills

Rare Albino deer seen in Farmington Hills

FOX 2 viewer Ramez Khuri says he was in Farmington Hills on 12 Mile between Middlebelt and Orchard Lake when he spotted the ghostly white deer walking across the road.

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A rare albino deer was spotted this week in Farmington Hills, the second time an animal like this was been spotted in the area since May.

FOX 2 viewer Ramez Khuri says he was in Farmington Hills on 12 Mile between Middlebelt and Orchard Lake when he spotted the ghostly white deer walking across the road.

Albino Deer in Farmington Hills

A rare albino deer was spotted in Farmington Hills on Wednesday, June 18. Credit: Ramez Khuri

What we know:

It was around 4:45 on Wednesday, June 18, when Khuri caught video of the albino deer. He recorded the deer standing in the parking lot of the Woodhues Apartments. As he pulled up, the deer looked at him and turned to walk away and graze through the parking lot.

This is the second albino deer sighting in the area since early May. Ioanna Garrisi posted on Facebook that she spotted an albino deer as well.

A rare albino deer was spotted in Farmington Hills by Ramez Khuri. Credit: Ramez Khuri

What we don't know:

It's unknown if the two albino deer are the same animal but albino deer are a rare occurrence.

Dig deeper:

The odds of a deer born with albinism are roughly one in 30,000. However, just this week, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks also spotted a deer with albinism, as did two people in Jefferson County, Missouri.

Albino deer often have poor eyesight and other disabilities that make it difficult to survive in the wild. 

In Michigan, hunting albino deer in the wild was legalized in 2008.

Ablinism is a genetic condition where there is a complete lack of melanin, resulting in animals with white or pale skin and red/pink eyes. Though rare, it's natural occurring and happens to all animals - from alligators to birds and even killer whales. The condition is developed by a recessive gene carried by both parents. 

Three years ago, an albino bear was caught on a trail cam in the Upper Peninsula.