How Deer Found Their Way to Puerto Rico (Note: They Aren’t Native!)

Puerto Rico has a lot of unique and interesting wildlife. This vibrant island is known for animals like the common coqui, Puerto Rico Spindalis, leatherback sea turtle, West Indian manatee, humpback whale, and the Puerto Rican boa. These native animals are symbols of the island. Some animals roaming Puerto Rico, though, are not native. One animal that surprises many visitors to Puerto Rico are deer. Did you know there are deer in Puerto Rico? They’ve been spotted for decades on Culebra, but are they native? Follow along to discover how deer found their way to Puerto Rico.

Are Deer Native to Puerto Rico?

Deer are not native to Puerto Rico. Despite this fact, they are found throughout Puerto Rico, although populations are hard to track. While most people only know of one deer species on the island of Culebra, there are two, and many theories as to how they got there. 

There are whitetail deer in Culebra, an island about 17 miles east of mainland Puerto Rico, but how did they get there? The short answer is we don’t know! There are a few theories as to how whitetail deer made their way to Culebra. A popular theory is that the U.S. Army or Navy brought the deer to the island while they were occupying it. This was either as an experiment or in hopes of having enough deer to hunt. Another theory, although not as popular, is that the deer were brought to the island by a rich foreign couple who loved deer. Some sources indicate that whitetail deer were introduced to the mainland of Puerto Rico in 1963 and Culebra in 1966.

What about the other deer? Throughout mainland Puerto Rico, European fallow deer have been spotted, specifically by Rio Piedras and San Lorenzo. One theory as to how they’ve spread through the island is that they were once part of El Monoloro: El Parque-Zoológico de Carolina. They either escaped or were let loose when the zoo closed its doors. Note that the details above are theories. 

About Whitetail Deer

Now that we have an idea of how deer found their way to Puerto Rico let’s learn more about whitetail deer. Whitetail deer are native to North, Central, and South America but have been introduced to other continents and countries. For instance, whitetail deer were also introduced to Cuba, Jamaica, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Finland.

Whitetail deer vary a lot in height and weight, depending on the region. They may weigh anywhere from 70 to 400 pounds, if not more. Whitetail deer are fast runners. In short sprints, they can run up to 35 mph.

About European Fallow Deer

Fallow deer are also not native to Puerto Rico or even North America! They go by many names, including European fallow deer. Fallow deer are native to large parts of Europe, but this species likely originated in and around Turkey.

Currently, fallow deer are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. On average, male adult fallow deer, also known as bucks, are about 55 to 63 inches long. They may weigh up to 220 pounds. Females, known as doe, are smaller than males, only weighing about 60 to 110 pounds.

Does Puerto Rico Have Other Invasive Animals?

Deer aren’t the only invasive or introduced animal in Puerto Rico. One of the most common animals on the island, and an icon, is the green iguana, which is not native to Puerto Rico. It’s a destructive animal that is responsible for millions of dollars of losses and damages a year. Green iguanas have been in Puerto Rico since the 1970s. They were popular pets for a short while but were released and quickly populated. They have no natural predators on the island.

Another invasive species on the island is the small Indian mongoose. These mongoose are native to Iraq and northern South Asia but have been in Puerto Rico since 1877. They were brought to the island in hopes of controlling or getting rid of the black rats, which were causing agricultural problems in sugarcane fields. Small Indian mongooses are about 9 to 25 inches long. They are excellent climbers and know how to stay out of sight. 

Like most parts of the world, feral pigs run wild on the island. Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs are known to wander around San Juan and the surrounding area, causing havoc. They get into trash cans and leave pungent smells of pee. These feral pigs are likely former pets or the descendants of abandoned pets.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Alisha Bube/Shutterstock.com