Rare Florida Deer Die in Record Numbers

A record 100 endangered Key deer died in the lower Florida Keys this year, victims of increasing development and heavy highway traffic.

Key deer, which grow to only about 3 feet tall, are among the rarest American mammals and are protected by state and federal laws.

Wildlife officials in the Keys estimate the number of deer at 250 to 300, but they really don’t know because the last census was a decade ago.

The second-worst year on record was 1995, when 94 deer were killed.

Barry Stieglitz, manager of the Keys national wildlife refuges, said many of the tiny white-tailed deer that died were yearlings who didn’t know how to navigate traffic on the major highway that cuts through the island chain. The high total may be because the deer are reproducing well, he said.

The deer can swim from island to island, drink salty water and eat mangrove leaves. Some deer live on islands like Cudjoe, Sugarloaf and the Torch keys, but most live on Big Pine Key.

But the rapid development of Big Pine Key, about 30 miles north of Key West, has cut into that total, wildlife officials say.

The National Key Deer Refuge was created to save them in 1957. The Key deer population had dwindled to 35 or 40 at the time, but surged to about 400 in the early 1970s.

Although the deer may be reproducing well now, the long-range prospects are questionable as more people move into the area and tourist traffic grows. Some people like to feed the deer, drawing the animals nearer to their neighborhoods.

Laura Flynn of the Nature Conservancy said the future of the Key deer is not bleak if residents and visitors become more aware of the precious resource.

“If we can save land and manage it, the Key deer population should do well,” she said.