‘Unsightly’ deer stirs concern in Colorado

MORRISON, Colo. (SOCO) — A deer was causing concern for Colorado residents after it was seen with “unsightly” growths covering its body.

“We won’t be taking any beauty tips from this deer,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife said on Facebook.

Yet despite the deer’s appearance, all is well, according to the CPW, which investigated to make sure the animal was unharmed after receiving several calls from members of the community.

In a Facebook post, CPW described the deer’s growths as warts that are cutaneous fibromas caused by a virus.

“They are pretty unsightly, but not serious,” CPW wrote. “The deer is walking around fine, eating fresh green-up and acting like a deer. We are letting the deer be for now and will continue to monitor it.”

According to CPW, most fibromas regress over time and completely heal. Once the warts heal, the deer will have lifelong resistance to any further infections by the virus.

Deer fibromas, often called deer warts by hunters, can last for weeks to months, the CPW said, adding that young deer are more susceptible than older ones.

According to the CPW, the virus may be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, by using the same scratching posts or even by biting insects.

Though the growths don’t interfere with normal deer behavior in most cases, the CPW said, very large ones can interfere with limb movement or can obstruct vision if they appear around the eyes.