Deer in woman’s driveway was missing an important body part, Alabama video shows

A doorbell camera in Alabama caught something strange when two whitetail deer wandered onto a family’s carport, according to the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.

At first, one of the deer appears to have only two legs. Closer inspection reveals it has three — still one shy of normal.

State officials shared the Ring.com video Monday on Facebook, calling the deer a marvel of adaptation.

“This video from Morgan County illustrates a whitetail’s resilience: unfazed by whatever prior incident that led to this inconvenience,” the department posted Monday.

“The deer casually searches for acorns on Lexis Romine’s carport, completely healed and healthy,” wildlife officials continued, “and easily keeping pace with its companion.“

Morgan County is in northern Alabama, just southwest of Huntsville.

Facebook commenters noted it’s not the first sighting in the area of the three-legged deer, which has amassed a following among neighbors who say they are concerned for its safety.

As for how the critter lost its leg, speculation includes everything from a coyote attack to a collision with a vehicle. .

It could have been especially traumatic if the deer was born without its leg, as fawns born with deformities are often abandoned to die by their mothers soon after birth, according to Deer and Deer Hunting. The site reports deer sometimes get caught in wires that cut off circulation and cause legs to drop off.

“Nature offers some glimpses of strange things in the woods, and a three-legged whitetail deer definitely fits in that category,” Deer and Deer Hunting says.

This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 9:27 AM with the headline "Deer in woman’s driveway was missing an important body part, Alabama video shows."