Rare deer sightings were reported from two separate locations in the hills under the Kurseong forest division, Darjeeling district, on Wednesday, highlighting the region’s rich biodiversity.
On Wednesday, a forest official spotted and photographed a rare black deer near scenic Dowhill in Kurseong. In another rare instance, a white deer was reportedly sighted near Mirik, where a bystander managed to photograph the animal.
Both the sightings are being described as the first of their kind in this forest division.
“A fully black deer was sighted in the Dowhill area, partially concealed behind trees. This is a significant sighting as such an animal has not been recorded in this forest division earlier,” said Devesh Pandey, the divisional forest officer (DFO), Kurseong forest division.
According to forest officials, the animal is believed to be a common barking deer exhibiting melanism — a rare genetic condition caused by excess dark pigmentation due to a recessive gene, which gives it a deep brown or black appearance.
Dowhill, located at an elevation of over 4,000 feet from sea level, is a serene forested area of Kurseong known for its dense greenery.
The region is also famous for melanistic leopards, which locals call “black panthers”.
Leopards and deer apart, the forests support a wide range of avian species and other wildlife, making it an important eco-tourism destination.
“The first-ever sighting of a black deer has once again highlighted the rich biodiversity of our forest areas. We will take all steps to ensure the conservation of the species and sensitise residents about its protection,” said Pandey.
On the white deer, forest officials said it had not been recorded earlier in that part of the forest division. "We are currently verifying the information regarding the sighting of a white deer in the Mirik area through the forest range concerned,” the DFO said.