Key Deer

 

A trip to the Keys wouldn’t be complete without visiting Key West and having your picture taken with the buoy proving you made it to the southernmost point in the continental USA. There’s also the Ernest Hemingway House and the six toed cats to see.There’s no missing the Key West roosters because they are everywhere! They’re believed to be descendants of the fighting roosters released on the island when cockfights became illegal in the late 1970’s. We appreciated the history and culture in this vibrant city but after spending the morning in Old Town we happily headed north again. Our plan was to stop at mile marker 30, on Big Pine Key, in hopes of seeing the endangered Pine Key Deer. The island of Pine Key is home to the National Key Deer Refuge and this section of the Keys is the only place in the world you can see these miniature creatures. Sometimes called the “toy deer” an adult female can weigh as little as 45 pounds. (about the size of a German shepherd) The original species were regular white tail deer that got stuck on the islands 10,000 years ago during the last glaciation melt period. Typically, living things stuck on livable areas with limited resources tend to become smaller. Scientists call this the Island Dwarfing Effect. These little deer are the ultimate survivors. I was beyond thrilled to see them in their natural habitat. There are an army of people through the National Refuge and a group located on Big Pine Key called Save Our Key Deer who work tirelessly to protect this species. I was glad to discover firsthand such a worthwhile cause to support.







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