Gap in Fence at Former Big Pine Prison Site Raises New Fears for Trapped Key Deer, Fawns
Deer in question still remain unaccounted for, according to Preziosi.
BIG PINE KEY, Fla. A gap at the base of the fence surrounding the former prison property at 450 Key Deer Blvd. remains unpatched more than a week after residents began reporting trapped Key deer inside the site, raising new concerns that newborn fawns could slip under the barrier and become separated from their mothers during the spring birthing season.
Valerie Preziosi, president of Save Our Key Deer, said she continues to see an opening large enough for small deer to get under the fence at the state-owned property now leased by the College of the Florida Keys. She said the continued presence of the gap means deer can still enter the enclosure even as local, state and federal agencies have yet to publicly outline a final plan for the fence or for any animals still inside.
The fence is new, and allegedy built without the permit at a proposed sight for a commercial truck driving school in the heart of the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge.
“If they insist on keeping this illegal fence, they must patch the gap, or newborn fawns can easily get inside,” said Preziosi. “Mothers may then become trapped as they try to squeeze under the fence to reach their babies.”
Contrary to popular belief, the diminuitive deer cannot leap over the fence, even with a running start.
The latest warning follows a series of emails and calls beginning March 14, when Preziosi alerted Monroe County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the College that two endangered Key deer does were trapped inside the old prison compound. By March 16, she said, the number had risen to at least three deer still believed to be inside.
In a March 16 response, Nikki Colangelo of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said an FWC officer had inspected the fence line and identified a “large gap under the fence where the deer likely are getting in.” Officials also confirmed two water sources inside the compound and reported the deer observed “all looked healthy.”
“Currently, the deer appear healthy, have a water source, and are in no imminent danger,” said Colangelo, adding agencies would work together “to determine the best path forward.”
The fence acts like a lobster or stone crab trap, with deer able to find their way into one of the only natural water sources on the key, but then unable to find their way out.
One nearby resident told Above the Fold “That this used to be a former prison and now the Key deer are prisoners, visiting day is truly sad because the deer did nothing wrong.”
Officials asked residents to remove supplemental water placed inside the fence to avoid attracting additional deer. Preziosi said she complied after requesting salinity testing of the on-site water, which she said was suitable for the animals.
But she said the broader issue remains unresolved, with the gap still open and no clear timeline for action.
She also said residents had recorded Key deer attempting to enter the property even before the trapped animals were first reported, suggesting the site continues to function as a water source.
The former prison property has been accessible to Key deer since Hurricane Irma damaged the fence in 2017, according to Preziosi, who said deer have since used the area to forage, rest and drink.
But late last year, a brand new fence with gaps appeared almost under the cover of darkness.
With fawning season beginning, she said the risk has escalated.
“If those three deer are still trapped, they need to be released as soon as possible,” said Preziosi.
Monroe County officials acknowledged receipt of the concerns but did not outline a specific response timeline in the correspondence.
This is an evolving story. Watch this space.