Being Cute Ain't Always Easy

Nicole Ertle

Nestled upon a bed of grass-covered limestone lies the cutest animal encountered so far: the key deer.  With long, sleepy eyelashes and splattered white spots, much like the fawns in Jersey, it's easy to be charmed by these miniature deer.  Although a real live key deer didn't grace us with its presence (they are usually spotted and dawn and at dusk- we ventured in their territory around midday) the friendly folks at the National Key Deer Refuge were quick with recent pictures of a mother and calf in their own backyard, eager to share their obvious appreciation and knowledge of the smallest subspecies of our well known North American white-tailed deer.  Despite their cuteness, however, being adorable doesn't always work in the key deer favor...

By the 1950s, poaching and habitat loss caused a steep decline in the key deer population- there were only a few dozen left.  With the formation of the National Key Deer Refuge (www.fws.gov/nationalkeydeer) there allowed a beginning of the rebuilding of the key deer population. With the addition of the deer to the endangered species list in 1967, conservation measures seemed to be paying off.  Presently there are nearly a thousand key deer, living mostly in No Name Key and Big Pine Key.  Although a successful turn around has been off to a decent start, the species is still endangered and facing new threats. 

From cars to dog attack, key deer are a vulnerable species.  Most dangerous is the feeding of the deer by humans "trying to be nice." You know what is said about good intentions... 

Not only is it illegal for humans to feed deer; when deer consume food not intended for them, they can suffer disease and parasites, ending in fatality. 

A few simple rules to follow:

1. Never feed the deer

2. Keep dogs on leash

3. Drive carefully

4. If you see an injured deer in distress, do NOT approach; instead call the Key Deer Emergency Hotline at 305-304-9628.

The Key Deer Refuge is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.  For a list of other refuges check out www.fws.gov/refuges.  Scroll down alphabetically to "E" to see a Refuge in our very own backyard: the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge!