From left to right: Meet Pomegranate, Papaya and Pumpkin!

Have you spotted the new faces wan-deer-ing around our Wild Florida loop? Pomegranate, Pumpkin and Papaya the white-tailed deer have joined our other three deer, Peach, Plum and Persimmon, on habitat.  

While our original three deer were deemed non-releasable by licensed wildlife rehabilitators because of imprinting or an injury, the newest additions arrived for different reasons. Our Zoo had been looking to grow our herd’s size, and we came across a local family who was looking to rehome their privately owned deer. We are happy to introduce these deer to our trio.  

In their short time with us, their animal care team have already picked up on these three’s unique personalities. Right away, it was clear that Papaya was the leader among this small herd.  

“Papaya is the most food-motivated and the bravest of the three,” said Curator of Animal Data & Regulatory Affairs Sebastian Carcano. “She seems to always lead the way for the other two.” 

Pumpkin and Pomegranate are both a bit more reserved than Papaya, but Pumpkin will always shake her shyness for a few ear scratches. Pomegranate, however, will need a bit longer to warm up to her new animal care team.  

“Pomegranate is not yet comfortable getting too close to us, but we are working on continuing to build a positive relationship with her,” said Sebastian. 

Interested in learning how to tell our new deer apart? All of them are lighter in color than Plum, Persimmon and Peach. Papaya has dark markings on her face, while Pomegranate is the lightest in color.  

If you want to join us in fawning over this new trio, head out for a Zoo visit and see and feed them for yourself! 

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Special thanks to Flammio Financial Group, Stifel-Garvin Wealth Management Group, Artemis IT, and Jim and Darleen Barfield. Their generosity makes our work possible! 

Brevard Zoo is an independent, not-for-profit organization that receives no recurring government funding for our operating costs. Your generous support enables us to continue to serve our community and continue our vital animal wellness, education and conservation programs.