Please help the Key deer by not feeding them, and help us spread the word about how important this is to maintaining a healthy deer population.Īlthough the Florida Keys are located in a subtropical environment, we are still influenced by seasonal changes that affect most of the country. Please drive carefully when in Key deer country (Big Pine-Lower Sugarloaf Keys). Human interactions with deer such as illegal feeding have conditioned many deer to approach humans, leading to unhealthy conditions. This high density of deer and proximity to homes and roads results in motor vehicle collisions, especially at night when the deer are more active. The deer are most concentrated on Big Pine and No Name Keys, where an estimated 75% of the population lives. Poaching and habitat loss had reduced the number of Key deer to only a few dozen animals by the 1950’s, but establishment of the Refuge and subsequent listing of the deer as endangered in 1967 has allowed for protection and a dramatic recovery of the species. Breeding occurs in the fall with the majority of white–spotted fawns born in the late spring and summer months. Competing males joust for females during the rut by locking antlers. Despite the absence of predators, Key deer retain the characteristic behavior of raising their tails when alarmed, revealing the white fur underneath. They travel through all of the Florida Keys habitats, and can walk, wade or swim from island to island. They are the only large herbivore in the Florida Keys and can be found in every habitat, where they feed on dozens of native plant species. The endangered Key deer is the smallest subspecies of the North American white-tailed deer. These strategies include: wildlife management, habitat management, education and outreach, and law enforcement. There are four main categories of management strategies employed at the National Key Deer Refuge to maintain, restore, and enhance the natural diversity and abundance of wildlife, plants and habitats. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species. Learn more about national wildlife refuge is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refugeĪ national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Proceeds directly benefit the four Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges, including National Key Deer Refuge. The Nature Center is also home to our Friends group’s (Florida Keys Wildlife Society) nature store, filled with nature-oriented books and gifts. Staff and volunteers at the Nature Center can highlight areas of the refuge to visit based on what you are looking to do and see. The Nature Center is accessible to all, and staffed with volunteers and refuge personnel who can answer questions and provide information. Turn right, (north) into the Nature Center parking lot. The Nature Center is located just prior to the only traffic light on the island. Look for the blue Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges sign.įrom South Florida and upper Florida Keys- Take HWY US 1 south and west to Big Pine Key. The Nature Center is located just past the only traffic light on the island, on the left (north) side of the road. National Key Deer Refuge/ Florida Keys National Wildlife Refugesįrom Key West- head east/north on HWY US 1 to Big Pine Key. The best place to start your visit is the Nature Center. National Key Deer Refuge is a wonderful place to see Key deer, other wildlife species, and rare habitats. National wildlife refuges offer us all a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with our natural surroundings
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