Viral Kaziranga Video Brings Attention to The Endangered Hog Deer and a Rare Genetic Condition

An Instagram reel from Kaziranga National Park has been quietly captivating viewers. The video shows a hog deer fawn beside its mother — a tender, unguarded moment in the wild. What makes this sighting especially rare is that the fawn appears to be leucistic, displaying unusually pale coloration compared to its normally coloured mother.

The video was shared recently by Aparupa Dey, a nature and wildlife photographer on her Instagram. You can see it below,

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A post shared by Aparupa Dey (@aparupa.dey)

What is Leucism?

Leucism is a genetic condition that causes partial loss of pigmentation. Unlike albinism, leucistic animals retain normal eye colour and do not lack pigment entirely. In the wild, such individuals are uncommon, and their lighter colouring can sometimes make them more visible to predators. While the video captures a moment of apparent calm and safety, leucism does not confer any survival advantage — and in some cases, may do the opposite.

The species itself adds another layer of significance. The hog deer (Axis porcinus) is listed as Endangered in India, with populations declining across much of its former range. Once widespread across the northern plains, the species now survives in fragmented pockets, largely confined to protected grassland landscapes such as Kaziranga.

Read More: Sink or Swim, Kaziranga Wildlife Fight the Annual Assam Floods

According to a recent field survey published in the Journal of Wildlife Science, this species is considered an endangered grassland specialist in South Asia. Researchers Saket Badola and Shahbaz Ali note that “The hog deer… occurs at low densities across much of its range due to habitat loss and fragmentation,” highlighting how restricted and isolated populations have become in areas like Corbett Tiger Reserve.

Hog deer are closely tied to alluvial grasslands, an ecosystem that has long been undervalued and frequently misclassified as “wasteland.” These grasslands are among the most threatened habitats in the country, facing pressure from agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, invasive plant species, and changing flood regimes. Even within protected areas, grassland-dependent species remain vulnerable to subtle habitat changes.

Kaziranga is often celebrated for its rhinos, elephants, and tigers, but its grasslands support a far wider range of life — much of it less visible, less photographed, and far more fragile. The presence of a leucistic fawn may feel extraordinary, but it is the continued survival of the species itself that matters far more than any single rare individual.

This video offers a rare, close look at both the hog deer and an uncommon genetic condition like leucism which is something most people, including researchers, seldom get to see in the wild. For a species that is both endangered and poorly studied, such records add valuable insight into population variation and life in India’s jungles.