• In June 2008, a deer with a centrally positioned horn atop its head was discovered in an Italian nature preserve, leading some to conjecture that previous abnormalities in deer may have led to the age-old myth of the fabled unicorn.

    1. Location of "Unicorn Deer": Prato, Italy
    2. Region of Italy found: Tuscany
    3. Type of deer: Roe Deer
    4. Estimated age: One year
    5. Born in captivity
    6. Lives in a 2.5 acre nature park*The Associated Press: Visitors Flocking to See 'Unicorn' Deer (June 12, 2008)
    7. Deer has twin with two horns
    8. Unicorns are depicted as horses with a single horn protruding from head
    9. Deer are not horses

  • Pilgrimage to the Unicorn Deer

    After video of the horned deer hit the internet, hundreds of the curious flocked to the nature preserve located outside the town of Prato to catch a glimpse of the rare creature. Gilberto Tozzi, the Director of the Centre of Natural Sciences in Prato, claimed the deer was "fantasy becoming reality." The scientific director of Rome's zoo noted that the horn could have come about as the result of a head trauma.New Zealand Herald: Rare Deer Offers Unicorn Pointer (June 13, 2008)