Thursday, June 22, 2006

Oh dear, the deer..

For the second time in a month, I saw deer. In a close-in suburban park. More to the point, these two sightings were the first times that I've seen deer in broad daylight (OK, in the evening) outside of the late fall or winter. I spotted them while on the Green Line, as the two were peacefully munching in Oxon Run Park, perhaps a doe and her fawn (neither had antlers).

As beautiful as that little scene was, it made me wonder what would I do if I saw a deer bound across the road while driving to or fro my relatives' house, which is in walking distance of the park? In fact, what should drivers in general do if they spot deer crossing, or about to cross, the road? (I did, in fact, see a chicken cross the road from a gas station in Richmond a few years back, but...) There are some busy roads near that park, as it's bordered on one side by Naylor Road, and the Suitland Parkway on another, and is situated between two subway stations that are only five minutes' driving distance from each other, so you can imagine the traffic.

I'm a little rattled about the fauna because it's not even deer mating season, yet there they were, in an urban/suburban area, completely unfazed by a passing train. (At least they weren't grazing right by the roadside.) Let's hope these critters are more citified than is usually the case.

No comments: