NO, your eyes are not deceiving you, that is a WHITE stag.

The animal was spotted this week by reader Ian Compton, who snapped the pure white animal as he made his way from Wellington towards Uffculme.

The white stag is extremely rare.

Many presume it is 'albino', meaning it has a melanin deficiency, but it is in fact a reduced pigmentation of all skin types.

Their rarity has meant white stags have assumed an important role in many forms of mythology.

To some Celts, they were considered messengers from the otherworld.

The Celts also believed that the white stag would appear when one was transgressing a taboo, and in English folklore, the white hart is associated with Herne the Hunter, while Arthurian legend states the creature has a perennial ability to evade capture, and that the pursuit of the animal represents mankind's spiritual quest.

Whatever it means to you, Ian's capture was a very rare one.

Somerset County Gazette: RARE: This white stag was spotted by Ian Compton

Somerset County Gazette: RARE: This white stag was spotted by Ian Compton