A rare white reindeer calf was spotted in picturesque, snowy Norway, hanging around long enough for a photographer to capture stunning images of the curious little creature.
Oslo photographer Mads Nordsveen was hiking with some friends in the mountains of northern Norway when he came across the little reindeer.
“I was walking in the mountains looking for nice landscapes for my travel photography when, out of nowhere, I saw this wonderful little creature,” the photographer told Cater News Agency. “He came very close to me, and we looked at each other straight in the eyes.”
Photos show the animal almost camouflaged in the snowy scene, with just its piercing eyes and antlers highlighting the images.
“Back to the cold north. Met, this white little reindeer in northern Norway. He almost disappeared into the snow!” the photographer said on Instagram.
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Nordsveen’s images have been liked over 18,000 times since being posted to the social media network on Monday.
“He was quite relaxed when he saw that I was calm and friendly. It was almost as if he posed for the camera,” Nordsveen told Caters. “He was very curious and fun. Like a little explorer.”
The man said the reindeer walked around for several minutes before another reindeer appeared from the woods.
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“After some minutes, the mother of the baby reindeer came out of the trees just behind. It walked around for some minutes before running back to its mother,” he said. “It was very magical and a fairy-tale moment.”
White reindeer are uncommon, making up less than one per cent of the deer population, and are also known as leucistic deer. Though often mistaken for albino, leucistic deer do not have pink eyes and nose, a common identifier of the albino trait.
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