Pampas Deer
Ozotoceros bezoarticus
Status: Vulnerable in Brazil, as a result of expansion of agriculture, habitat has been greatly reduced
The Tupi people living in the Amazonian jungles of Brazil are wary and respectful of the forest spirit called Anhanga. Anhanga has the form of a white deer with glowing eyes, and is known as the protector of forest life. In particular, she watches over animals with young, and her presence is particularly felt in open country where there is no protective shelter of trees for wildlife to hide.
When a hunter's prey eludes him, or mysteriously vanishes just as it is about to be caught, people say that Anhanga must be protecting the creature. Anhanga is terrifying to behold, and the flame in her eyes drives hunters to madness or fevered delusions.
References:
"Anhanga". Michaelis On-Line (in Brazilian Portuguese).
Figueira, G. (1942). Mythology of the Amazon Country. Books Abroad, 16(1), 8-12. https://doi.org/10.2307/40082369
Smith, H. H. (1879). Brazil, the Amazons and the Coast. United Kingdom: C. Scribner's Sons. 570-586.