Srinagar, Jan 31: A viral video circulating on social media, which claimed to show a rare white deer in Gulmarg, has been officially debunked by wildlife authorities. According to the Wildlife Department, the footage is not from Kashmir, and the animal in the video is not native to the region.
Wildlife Warden for North Kashmir, Intisar Suhail, spoke with Kashmir News Observer (KNO) and confirmed that the species depicted in the video does not exist in Jammu and Kashmir or anywhere in the Indian subcontinent. “This is a fake video. It was originally posted from abroad, and it has been incorrectly attributed to Kashmir,” Suhail clarified. He traced the video back to its source, which was shared on Instagram from outside India.
The video, which gained significant attention online, initially claimed that a rare albino deer had been spotted in the snow-covered forests of Gulmarg. However, experts have since pointed out that while albinism can occur in various animal species, no white deer has ever been recorded in Kashmir. “We do have native species such as the Hangul (Kashmir stag) and Musk deer, but none exhibit white coloration. The animal in the video is not from our region,” Suhail explained.
While the person who initially shared the false information has apologized, the video continues to circulate. Wildlife officials urge the public to verify information before spreading unconfirmed claims on social media.
