As a wildlife rehabilitator, I come across some very unusual animal situations. We get more rescue calls on injured and orphaned deer than any other animal.

Over the years we have taken in blind, white, piebald (white with brown markings), three-legged, crippled, seriously ill and overly friendly deer.

Each has unique circumstances that demand rehabilitation assistance. In the past year one rather unique individual joined our family.

Elliot, named after the comical one-antlered deer in the movie Open Season, came to us as an adult missing the lower portion of his front left leg. Had he been an infant we would most likely have amputated the deformed leg to encourage him to learn to walk on three legs. Such a surgery was deemed too stressful for an adult deer that had already adjusted to walking with 3-1/2 legs.

Elliot walks as though he was bowing with every step forward. He does not actually put weight on his short leg but he lowers his head, bends at the middle leaning forward until his stub leg is just an inch off the ground. It is quite awkward and really does look like he is bowing to the queen.

Elliot was apparently someone’s pet as he is also quite friendly, too much so to be released.

Besides the fact he cannot run from potential predators, he likes people and actually approaches them, bowing gracefully as he makes his presence known.

As if a bowing adult buck is not an unusual enough sight, this year Elliot sports a head full of strange antlers. Besides the single long straight right antler he had last year that earned him his name, he has three straight antlers of varying lengths on the left side, along with three additional nubs at the base.

He could probably get a job modeling for Dr. Seuss characters if he so desired. His unusual appearance is the result of a number of factors.

Deer with a serious rear leg skeletal injury generally have a deformed antler on the opposite side of their body. Front leg injuries often result with the antler on the same side of the body malformed.

We have seen this time and again over the years where anything from an infection to an amputation can trigger a sympathetic reaction in the opposite side antler.

In Elliot’s case, he has other issues that can be attributed to his styling headgear. He was neutered when it became obvious he could not be released. Even seemingly tame male deer can become extremely dangerous and unpredictable at mating season when their testosterone levels peak. Neutering a deer under the age of 6 months will generally assure it will not develop dangerous testosterone levels nor will he grow antlers.

The results are not as predictable if you neuter a deer over the age of six months. They may or may not become gentle and they may or may not grow antlers. If they do grow antlers, they will not shed them like normal deer. Such antlers will likely be mutated. As with Elliot, they eventually become an accumulated cluster of odd antler growths from previous years.

It is interesting to note that antlers are the fastest growing “true bone” in nature. Female deer (doe) can also grow antlers on rare occasions, but only one out of hundreds of thousands does.

The term “horns” is often interchanged with “antlers.” Technically horns are living bone that never shed, antlers are dead bone as soon as the velvet is shed and the blood supply cut off. Both antlers and horns will leave a serious mark if you anger the bearer.

FAWN SURGERY NEEDED: We have a fawn that was rescued with a severed leg tendon. As such, his rear leg sticks out behind him more like a tail than a leg. He needs surgery by an orthopedic doctor or the leg will have to be amputated. Normally complicated surgery such as this would cost in excess of $3000, but Dr. Dew, a renowned orthopedic surgeon, offered to perform the procedure for $1000, which is the cost of the operating room, special medical fittings needed to repair the tendon and surgical support staff. If you would like to contribute to the little guy’s operation so he can keep his leg, we welcome any help.

HOW YOU CAN HELP US HELP WILDLIFE: Although licensed by the state, the Witter Wildlife Refuge receives no salaries or funding from the state. It is funded entirely by donations and operated by unpaid volunteers. Checks should be made out to Witter Wildlife Refuge at P.O. Box 1118, Huntsville Ark. 72740. On the Web: www.witterwildliferefuge.com

FOR WILDLIFE EMERGENCIES: You can locate a wildlife rehabilitator in your area on the Internet at: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contactA.htm

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