A LONE white deer has become a natural wonder for one local resident in his walks around the southwest edge of Tunbridge Wells.
Having moved to the town in February, Mark Foxwell, a director at PR company Sharp Minds Communications, has spent hours walking through the wild places of Broadwater Warren.
However, another companion has now become part of the experience – a white deer that always appears to be alone.
He first spotted the deer in September.
“It was some distance away from me and looked like a white dog, but it just stopped and stood still. But a dog doesn’t behave like that,” he said.
“I got my phone, zoomed in and watched it.”
“It’s always a long way away. I haven’t been able to get properly close to it.”
Mark has seen the white deer twice, most recently last week, but looking out for it has become part of his walks and enjoying the wonder of nature in Broadwater Warren.
“It is really lovely, my favourite place in Kent to go to. There’s so much nature there, with wild horses and robins.”
According to the British Deer Society, the animal is not an albino, but either a white fallow deer, which are occasionally sometimes spotted in the UK, or an even rarer ‘white red deer’ that have only ever been spotted a handful of times in the UK.
Daniel Colborne, Ranger at Tunbridge Wells Commons said the news was ‘exciting’
He added: “It’s such exciting news to hear of a sighting of a white deer locally.
“It highlights the importance of retaining and maintaining wildlife corridors to connect areas of habitat to support the movement of species to find resources such food, water and shelter. With all fingers crossed, this rare deer might make its way, via the wildlife corridors, to our beautiful Commons.”
What wildlife gems have you spotted in and around Tunbridge Wells? Send your stories and pictures to newsdesk@OneMediaUK.co.uk or tweet @timeslocalnews
