White deer sanctuary to open

SENECA, N.Y. -- The public will soon get a chance to peek at an unusual herd of white deer in central New York.

In October, limited public tours will be offered at the closed-down Seneca Army Depot, where officials have been protecting the unusual herd of white deer for more than half a century.

The Army erected 24 miles of fence to keep the deer in when the 10,000-acre depot was first built. Initially, there were just a few white deer, but their numbers grew with inbreeding over the years.

About a third of the 500 deer in the herd are now white. They are not albinos but simply carry a recessive gene for white hair.

Seneca White Deer, the nonprofit group organizing the tours, is hoping acquire the land from the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency and offer safaris permanently.