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How Key Deer
Became Endangered
Key deer are endangered for a number of reasons.
While the status of the Key deer is still precarious,
at least it is more secure than in the 1940s when only an estimated 50 animals remained.
Hunting and some habitat destruction had eliminated the rest. The establishment of the National Key
Deer Refuge in 1957, coupled with strong law enforcement, saved
the herd from extinction.
Today, traffic
accidents account for about 70 percent of the Key deer fatalities
each year. It's a situation that isn't likely to improve.
U.S.
1, the main thoroughfare through the Keys, is one of the roads
that bisects the refuge.
About half the fatalities happen along
this roadway despite a posted speed limit that is lower than on any
other island.
These collisions are just as apt to take place during the day as at
night. Obviously, this is one instance where sharing the land isn't
working at all well.
The
problem is that only 40 percent of Big Pine Key is protected habitat.
On a map, the island is revealed as a checkerboard of houses and businesses.
Where
to See Key Deer
Best
Month To Photograph Key Deer
Key
Deer Habits and Habitat
Key
Deer Evolution, Adaptation
Close
Neighbors: People and Key Deer
Florida
Key Deer Homepage
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