Deer In The Big City

"For decades, deer have been rare sights in the city. But with suburban sprawl and the explosion of the deer population upstate, deer have more and more found their way to the five boroughs. A herd appears to have taken up residence in Staten Island, for example, and there have been occasional deer sightings in Inwood Hill Park and Riverside Park in Manhattan."

"Now, precisely because of experiences like Mr. Carman's, the next milestone has been reached in the deer's return to New York: the request for deer-crossing signs."

"A department spokeswoman, Kay Sarlin, confirmed that the city had no deer-crossing signs and was not planning to install them in the Bronx."

"'Because deer crossings are rare and there is no identifiable pattern to where deer cross city streets, warning signs are not an effective way to prevent crashes,' Ms. Sarlin said."

"Parks Department Commissioner Adrian Benepe added that like the city's growing populations of wild turkeys and raccoons, the deer are a welcome reminder that 'the woodlands have been there for centuries, and the deer are just moving through their property.'"

"'It belongs to them as much as anyone else,' he said."