The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-06-08
EXTINCTION FACES
TOY DEER OF
FLORIDA KEYS
Plight of These Animals Be-
fore Advance of CiviliZa-
ton Similar to Deer on
Dare Banks

The situation of the tiny deer
today on the Florida keys is sim
liar to that of the dwarfed deer
of Cape Hatteras. The growth in
population is reducing their feed
ing grounds, 4and their chance for
survival. JuA as the deer were
all killed ine the woods of Kitty
Hawk, so aresall others doomed in
limited areass
Therefore, our readers will be
interested in the following report
from the Department of the In
terror about the Florida deer.
1t is now absolutely certain that
the smallest, most .colorful and
unique of North Americas deer
species-the Key deer-which ex-
lists on a handful of fiat keys or
islands 100 miles from Florida's
mainland, will shortly become ex-
tinct along with its unduplicated
habitat unless drastic measures are
taken to protect it in its own pc
culiar environment, declared wild
life experts of the Department of
the Interiors Fish and Wildlife
Service today. !,
Only 70 of these "pygmY" deer
whom some scientists call a dis.
tinct species-were left on, Big
Pine and No Name Keys in 1947;
40 were left in 1850; today, only
80, or even less, can be counted
tomorrow, the count may be- ei-
pher unless immediate action is
taken.
Few and far between are those
fortunate individuals who have
seen the tiny animal. Around 26
to 20 inches high, SO inches long,
weighing in at mere 30-35 pounds
for bucks; 20-25 pounds for does,
it is about the size of very small
collie. Fawns are no bigger than
the ordinary cottontail rabbit.
The deer have been slaughtered
by invading poachers, who run
them into the sea with dogs to be
shot. Fires, hurricanes, and 'croc-
Odiles destroyed others.
And now the whining motorist
on the overseas highway to Key
West is unwittingly fastening the
little Key deer's ultimate death
warrant. Last year eight of the
remaining 40 were run over and
killed by cars alone, as they at
tempted to find water in the road
side bitches.
This dropped their dwindling
population to the present extrem-
ely dangerous level of not more
than 80 remaining survivors. If and
when adequate help is rushed, this
number might be raised in few
years to around 200, which would
insure them against the complete
oblivion toward which they are
headed.
Two unsuccessful attempts have
bene made to save the Key deer
through legislative action to estab-
fish a definite sanctuary.
Because of its delicate, centur-
ies-old adjustment to its own un-
usual geological keys background,
the surviving herd cannot be trans
planted to another region where
they might be better protected
from onrushing civilization.
Since time immemorial they
have waged their fight for surviv-
al in hard, almost waterless hab-
itat. Key deer were the first deer
to be seen by white men in the
New World. Columbus described
them in his fourth-trip report to
his royal sponsors.
In the year 1545 they were again
observed and noted by fernando
d'Escalante in his Memoirs, written
after he was held captive by In
dams in the lower keys of the
Key West chain.
Not only would full protection
rescue a vanishing race of pictur-
esque deer, it would also help to
preserve plants and birds that are
among the most interesting this
country can offer the lover
and student.
Birds such as the uncommon
white-crowned pigeon, whose chief
feeding ground is located where
the Key deer browse, would be al
so protected. Tropical vegetation
types in large numbers found no.
where else in the United States
would be preserved.
Then tourists and nature stu
dents-scientists and just plain
lovers of the great outdoors
would be able to see flora and
fauna far out of the ordinary on
the range of the tiny Key deer
whose ranks might be raised to
the safe figure of 200. This is the
number the experts call a safe
opi1ard onaiYCt avtiYIsohin,n