Named from the county in New York where they live, the Seneca White Deer are a rare herd of deer that live on the land that used to be occupied by the former Seneca Army Depot in Seneca County, New York. In 1941, when the 10,600-acre (43 km2) depot was created, a 24-mile (39km) fence was erected on the perimeter, isolating the small herd of white-tailed deer, many of which have white coats. Many presume these deers are albinos but that is not the case. These deer have leucism, which is an abnormal genetic condition that carries a set of recessive genes for all-white coats. Many researchers believe that isolating these herds has led to inbreeding. Inbreeding has led to the recessive alleles of white-tailed deer being expressed.
Previously, in order to control populations of white-tailed deer from becoming unsustainable, the army allowed hunting to reduce the population levels. Since the white-tailed deer population can no longer be hunted, the herd has grown in numbers considerably. Half of the deer in this region are now white and this area contains the largest white deer population in the world. Selective breeding within this environment has also allowed this population to flourish.
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