Photographer Is Surprised to Come Face to Face with Rare Animal in Pantanal

Wildlife photographer and safari guide Fábio Paschoal, who works at Caiman Farm in Miranda, Pantanal, Brazil, was pleasantly surprised to capture an animal he had never seen before in his 15-year career.

On November 22, he and a team decided to explore a nearby ecological area, when his eyes caught sight of a magnificent animal with white fur and red eyes.

“My ears couldn’t believe the words my lips had just spoken. But my eyes left no doubt. I was in front of an albino pampas deer!” the photographer wrote in an Instagram post.

Fábio, enchanted by the sight, captured beautiful photos of the rare creature wandering through the open fields and shared them on his Instagram profile (@fabiospaschoalpantanal).

The Encounter

In an interview with Amo Meu Pet (our Brazilian website about pet news), Fábio shared his sadness regarding the devastating fires that affected the Pantanal in November 2023.

The fires destroyed over one million hectares in the region—three times more than recorded the previous year, according to data from LASA.

In just the first 15 days of November, 3,024 fire outbreaks were recorded—making it the worst November on record since 2002.

“I was really upset because of the fires and had even stopped going out to take pictures,” he said.

Then the rain came, bringing relief to the suffering people and easing the pain of the animals living there.

This gave Fábio the motivation to pick up his camera again. So, with other guides, he set out to find the albino pampas deer that had been spotted days earlier.

Its white coloring made the deer stand out against the vegetation, making it easier to spot.

Fábio went to the last place the animal had been seen, and after some time, he finally found it.

“It was a great joy to see such a small animal,” he said.

You Know What’s Even More Amazing?

Fábio shared a legend about a protective spirit of forests, rivers, and animals called Anhangá, who is said to appear as a white deer with red eyes.

Could this be a sign that a supernatural being is watching over the Pantanal?

Whether or not that’s true, one thing is certain: after the albino pampas deer appeared, the rains came and put out all the fires in the region.

Check it out:

So beautiful!

To follow Fábio on social media, click here.

Albino Animals

According to National Geographic, albino animals are creatures with a lack of pigmentation in their skin, hair, feathers, and eyes due to a rare genetic condition.

They have white fur or feathers and red eyes due to the absence of melanin. This can occur in several species, such as mammals and birds.

Albino animals face challenges such as increased sensitivity to sunlight and vision problems. Despite this, they are unique examples of nature’s diversity and should be protected.