Endangered Key Deer Being Killed
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Just like some things in Florida are bigger, like the mosquitoes, lemons, and star fruit; some things in Florida are smaller. In particular, our deer are tiny, especially compared to the typical northern White Tail deer I used to see up in Virginia.
We have a type of deer down here called Key Deer and they are almost exclusively found, not surprisingly, in the Keys. I spent a lot of time on the particular keys (like Big Pine Key) where they are normally spotted looking around to see if I could find a Key Deer, but the only ones I have actually seen are at Homosassa State Park. They’ve got some that have been injured in the wild and are in the park to be kept safe.
Anyway, it turns out some sick freaks have been killing these endangered animals. There are only about 700 Key Deer. Last month, officials found three severed Key Deer heads together on federal property. Another Key Deer was found alive, but with a 3-foot-long spear running through its neck. That poor little thing eventually had to be put to sleep.
Since the Key Deer is protected under the Endangered Species Act, people caught killing or injuring the animals could face jail time and stiff fines.
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