Ghost deer haunt New York cold war bomb site under threat from developers

Group proposes turning the old depot into a world-class tourist attraction to show off both its rich military history and its unusual wildlife

Associated Press in Romulus, New York

Sunday 15 November 2015 18.42 GMTLast modified on Sunday 15 November 201520.42 GMT

Hundreds of ghostly white deer roaming among overgrown munitions bunkers at a sprawling former US army weapons depot face an uncertain future, after living and breeding largely undisturbed since the middle of last century.

The white deer with a genetic quirk that developed naturally on the 7,000-acre, fenced-in expanse have thrived, even as the depot itself has transitioned from one of the most important cold war storehouses of bombs and ammunition to a decommissioned relic.

Now, as local officials seek to put the old Seneca army depot up for bids next month, there is concern that the sale could also mean the end of the line for the unusual white deer.

A group of residents dedicated to saving the animals has proposed turning the old depot into a world-class tourist attraction to show off both its rich military history and its unusual wildlife. The Nature Conservancy also is looking at options for preserving the largely undeveloped landscape.

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