The first time a leucistic sambar has been observed in the Sangama range of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

• A White Sambar Deer was previously recorded in Bandipur Tiger Reserve in 2014.
• Leucism is a condition in which the pigmentation of an animal’s skin is missing, causing white or pale skin. 
• This condition can occur naturally from birth due to a phenotype (a trait of any living being) that may have formed from a defect in the animal’s development. 
• It is different from albinism which is a condition that arises due to a lack of melatonin in the animal’s skin and the animal will have pink or reddish eyes in albinism. 
• The animal lacks the pink eyes in leucism.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable