The camera captured the deer giving birth to her fawn, but then something surprising happened. Lacy, the deer in the story, is an albino deer bred at the Shadow Valley Deer Farm. Albinism is a rare skin condition that happens to both humans and animals; when it occurs in animals, it makes their fur white in color.
Lacy got pregnant and was about to give birth, but immediately after the fawn’s birth, the caretakers, Bertha, were left speechless by what they saw. The farm is located in West Virginia, housing red white-tailed deer of varying unique colors and patterns. Lacy was a notable deer on the farm because of her color; a white-colored deer in the wild would be prominent anywhere and everywhere, putting it at a greater risk.
Albino deers like Lacy are always easy prey for hunters and predators. Luckily, all the Shadow Valley Farm deers don’t have to worry about predators or hunters, as they’re adequately protected and monitored in a beautiful safe enclosure.
For several reasons, Lacy was one of the most loved animals of the deer farm. About two weeks after Lacy’s birth, she lost her mama. Lacy was left all alone; she felt out of place and even found it hard to eat. Staff at the farm were worried she wouldn’t be able to make it on her own. However, one staff member named Bella always maintained hope for Lacy and typically became Lacy’s mom right from when she was a fawn until she became an adult.
Bella was the one who captured the surprising event you’ll see in this video. But before we get into that, let’s do a short throwback of Lacy’s rough early life. After losing her mama, Lacy suffered different infections. This is understandable since a mother’s milk is vital for every deer calf. But in this case, Lacy had none. Thankfully, the farm was full of kind vets who would do everything they can within their power to ensure they saved an animal’s life. And so, in Lacy’s case, all hands were on deck to ensure the poor little deer was nursed back to health.
Bella put in a lot of effort, and as Lacy grew, she was thrilled that her actions didn’t go to waste. She ended up developing a very close bond with the albino deer. And so, when Lacy became pregnant, it was no surprise to the other staff that Bella was the first one to notice. Before breaking the good news to them, Lacy had endured hardships and fought for survival, earning the hearts of everyone in Shadow Valley.
But apart from Lacy’s strong will to survive, another reason Lacy won a special place in her keeper’s heart was her unique coat. Lacy’s albinism condition made her coat all white. Just in case you’re not aware, this white coloration in albinism is due to the absence of melanin. Finding an albino animal is very rare, and deers are no exception. Some people consider spotting or owning an albino animal as a sign of good luck. And since Lacy was the farm’s only albino deer, she was a VIP member of the farm.
When Lacy was confirmed pregnant, all the farm staff were excited. They couldn’t wait to see what Lacy’s baby would look like. Seeing as Lacy was uniquely colored or white, some were hoping she would give birth to another albino deer, thereby increasing the number of albino animals on the farm. There was no way to tell what sort of fawn Lacy would give birth to; everyone just had to wait and see.
Male deers usually reach sexual maturity at around 2 years old, although female deer may start mating and reproducing at a younger age, as early as 7 months old. Lacy’s case, however, was different. When they paired her for mating, she had refused to mate with any of the mature male deers on the farm. Mature male deers are usually dominant, and Lacy wouldn’t go near them. For some reason, it wasn’t clear if the behavior was because of her childhood trauma or if she was just shy. And so, the farm staff had to try with a lower-ranking male. When they did, Lacy finally yielded.
The farm staff kept an eye on her, both to record the occasion and to observe in case she needed any help during pregnancy. Usually, it’s hard to tell when a deer is pregnant, especially when the pregnancy is still in the early stages. But the staff at the farm were well experienced. One of the first signs is when a female deer begins to clean her fur frequently. This is the sign that Bella noticed that made her suspect Lacy was pregnant. Her hunch was correct because Lacy’s belly began to bulge after a few weeks.
But something unfortunate happened, however, amidst all the joy and expectation. Lacy ended up losing the pregnancy. The tragedy occurred during the second trimester and broke everyone’s heart. Lacy herself fell ill from the trauma of losing her fawn. It was a devastating time for the farm, but everyone believed Lacy would pull through, just as she did during her childhood.
It didn’t take Lacy too long to conceive again. It was just six months after the miscarriage. Bella spotted she was pregnant again. This particular one was so special that it would get the attention of millions of people. Deers don’t have an exact gestation period; usually, the length of the pregnancy depends on the species, but the times range from 180 to 200 days. So, Bella’s gestation got to this time. Bella started following pregnant Lacy very closely, though she did her best not to make it too apparent to the animal so that she wouldn’t be frightened.
One thing Bella noticed, however, was that Lacy would often frequent the meadow area. It was as though she was looking for the perfect spot to give birth. About two weeks after this time, she became restless and showed physical signs that proved the time of labor was nearer than ever. Lacy went to the meadow again, and Bella followed her closely behind, suspecting she would give birth. Bella was determined to capture the lovely moment. So she quickly set up her camera and found a spot where she could take the best shots. She made sure not to take her eyes off Lacy. But the ordeal soon became an exhausting one.
You see, deers are like humans because they go into labor for long hours. Lacy labored throughout the night, and even when Bella woke up the following day, she had still not delivered. This meant that Bella still had the opportunity to take those unique delivery photo shots she wanted so badly. But then, as soon as Bella looked away from the deer for a few seconds, it was just at that moment that Lacy delivered her baby.
The baby deer had a lovely brown coat like a typical deer. Bella wasn’t all that happy; she had failed to capture that fantastic birth moment. But she had waited throughout the night, thinking it was over and feeling devastated. Bella got up to leave, but then she noticed something. Lacy was still in labor. This was almost unbelievable because first-time deer mothers usually give birth to only one calf. If Lacy could deliver two babies, that’d be a miracle.
While preparing to deliver her second f awn, Lacy was still tending to the first fawn, grooming his fur as any doting mother would. However, she couldn’t give him breast milk because her mission wasn’t complete. Soon, she started contractions for the second baby. It was at this moment that Bella zoomed in on the camera. She was determined not to miss this one like the first. As the second born was emerging, the first baby deer slowly went over to inspect his twin brother and even began to lick him. The simple action was a good bonding activity, especially for deers like these.
But the real highlight of the story came when the second baby fully appeared. When Bella realized something shocking and beautiful at the same time. While she was expecting another brown fawn, what came out of Lacy was an all-white calf, precisely like its mother. It was hard to tell at first because fawns are coated by yellowish after-birth graze. But when Lacy began grooming the baby deer, its actual color and beauty came to light. It was all Bella could ask for; the mission was accomplished. Lacy now had two beautiful babies to live for.
She stood up with a motherly pride to begin the long task of nursing her babies to adulthood, giving them the best milk, the best training, and, of course, the best motherly affection. She was determined to provide them with a childhood that she never had.
