Deer Mysteriously Appear On Brooklyn Side Of Verrazano

While former residents of Brooklyn often migrate to Staten Island for a taste of suburban living, deer seem to be headed the other way into Brooklyn – whether on their own or by human hands.

According by the Home Reporter, three deer – during two separate incidents – were found yesterday on the Brooklyn side of the Verrazano Bridge, with at least one other deer managing to evade capture.

P.J. Landers, a local reporter who chases police and fire radio calls, was there to document this sudden strange phenomenon.

From Home Reporter:

“One of the deer disappeared into the water and escaped,” he recalled. “The other got on the rocks, climbed up and got its head caught in between the railing between the bike path and the water.”

Landers said the area was blocked off for an hour or so by Emergency Service Unit (ESU) trucks and police from the 68th Precinct. After a half hour, the deer was tranquilized and covered up with a big canopy.

Landers informed news media that the deer was placed in the back of a van used for mounted police unit horses.

Richard P. Gentles, the curiously named spokesman for Animal Care and Control in Brooklyn, said that, due to the deer’s extensive injuries, it had to be put down.

One of the two deer found later in the day, was struggling in the water with its legs tied. Both the tied deer and its swimming partner were brought to Staten Island and placed into the care of ACC officials there.

Mike Feller, chief naturalist for the NYC Parks Department speculated to the New York Times that the last time deer were spotted in Brooklyn, New York was probably known as New Amsterdam.

From the Times:

“My memory in Brooklyn goes back to 1962,” said Mr. Feller, who grew up in Marine Park. “This is probably the first time deer set foot in Brooklyn since Peter Minuit * was hobbling around on his peg leg.”

Mr. Feller could not readily explain the sudden migration, though he noted that fall was mating season and deer grow more territorial. Nor could he fathom why someone would bind a deer’s legs.

“Deer engage in all sorts of behavior during mating season,” he said, “but one thing they don’t do is tie each other up.”

*History sticklers that we are, Mr. Feller may have meant Peter Stuyvesant.