ROME (AP) -- A deer with a single horn in the center of its head — much like the fabled, mythical unicorn — has been spotted in a nature preserve in Italy, park officials said Wednesday.
"This is fantasy becoming reality," Gilberto Tozzi, director of the Center of Natural Sciences in Prato, told The Associated Press. "The unicorn has always been a mythological animal."
(AP Photo/Center of Natural Sciences, ho)
The 1-year-old Roe Deer — nicknamed "Unicorn" — was born in captivity in the research center's park in the Tuscan town of Prato, near Florence, Tozzi said.
He is believed to have been born with a genetic flaw; his twin has two horns.
Calling it the first time he has seen such a case, Tozzi said such anomalies among deer may have inspired the myth of the unicorn.
The unicorn, a horse-like creature with magical healing powers, has appeared in legends and stories throughout history, from ancient and medieval texts to the adventures of Harry Potter.
"This shows that even in past times, there could have been animals with this anomaly," he said by telephone. "It's not like they dreamed it up."
Single-horned deer are rare but not unheard of — but even more unusual is the central positioning of the horn, experts said.
"Generally, the horn is on one side (of the head) rather than being at the center. This looks like a complex case," said Fulvio Fraticelli, scientific director of Rome's zoo. He said the position of the horn could also be the result of a trauma early in the animal's life.
Other mammals are believed to contribute to the myth of the unicorn, including the narwhal, a whale with a long, spiraling tusk.
Article submitted by Jeannie(cwdancing fool) Thank you, Jeannie.
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6 comments:
You're quite welcome, but you didn't say what you thought of it. I remember several years ago seeing a white goat unicorn at the Bristol, Wisconsin Rennaissance Faire. They said he was bred by a pair of genetics professors.
Jeannie
Jeannie,
I think this is only a defective horn growth. Roe deer historically have been know to have odd or defective horns. I have 12 Black Forest roe deer horn mounts that I have collected over the years, and a couple of them have twisted growth. For some reason, when mounting the horns and skull caps at the hunting camps, they also preserved the bottom jaws. 5 of my mounts have the jaws recessed into the back of the wood plaque used for the mounting.
A unicorn has supposedly never been seen, but has been recorded as a medium sized animal, with curly hair, and cloven hooves, historically portrayed as a horse, I believe because a goat, roe deer, or Scimitar horned Oryx just doesn't "stir the imagination" like a rearing, fiery stallion. When RBBB toured with a "unicorn" it is reported to have been their most successful show, given the objections of various AR organizations.
I suggest the "genetic professors" were actually a hippie and his life partner living on a commune in either Oregon or Washington State named Moon Beam, Star Fire, Cosmic Warrior or something like that.
Wade
Wade - I'm not sure, but the one I saw at the Ren Faire may have been the same one that was on RBBB. He did look the same, but you know the memory is the second thing to go. Or, perhaps you've forgotten that?
Jeannie
Jeannie,
What is the first thing to go? I'm not going to assume anything is gone, just misplaced. I am sure I will find it at a later date.
Wade
Wade,
I don't remember the first thing, but like you said, it is probably still around someplace. There is actually a song about it -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yN-6PbqAPM
I'm sorry, what were we talking about?
Jeannie
I remember that,and I think it was professor Rainbow,and they sited it while they were putting up the fence to protect their "crop" from Sasquatch....
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