NEGROS Occidental is offering several unique deer to pull Santa Claus's sleigh through the night, if he still uses that mode of transport.

And if Santa chooses them, he could also bring worldwide attention to the campaign to save the rare deer from extinction.

He would be pleased to know that the Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation has had another breakthrough with the birth of Arlene, a Philippine spotted deer.

Named after a staff member of the foundation, Arlene was born Dec. 5. She is the third spotted deer to be born in captivity at the NFEFI in Bacolod City, Dr. Ed Delima, curator of the foundation's Biodiversity Conservation Center, said.

Arlene is the offspring of Regina and Langley, resident spotted deer at the foundation's center for endangered animal species endemic in Negros and Panay.

Two other spotted deer were born at the facility--Maanyag on Nov. 20, 1996 and Maambon, on Jan. 15, 1998. The NFEFI now has 11 spotted deer.