I have already had our newest acquisition out in the schools for preschool students. She is a wonderful teaching tool and coaxes question from even the shy and timid students. My typical reaction in the hall was "What's the matter? You've never seen someone walking their deer before?" She is a white-tailed deer and I named her Dee.

Dee came to us through Texas Parks and Wildlife and was delivered by a game warden from Erath County. She had been raised in a suburban backyard eating only what she could find. Dee is about four months old, if you can believe teeth. She heels better than a golden retriever and has nicer manners. She has big black eyes and eyelashes that Max Factor would die for. It is illegal to keep a deer in your backyard. Keep that in mind.

The white-tailed deer are common in the southeastern United States. It is a relatively small deer with a long tail, dark on top and white underneath. This tail becomes most visible when the deer is alarmed and it sticks up like a flag. The bucks have the elaborate horns, and the females are usually antler less. In the wild they are most active just before sunset and shortly after sunrise. During the middle of the day, they will usually bed down in some thicket or other protective place. They are vegetarians and prefer trees to grass. They breed in late November and early December, and the spring brings one or two fawns. The gestation period is approximately seven months. Mama hides the babies for ten days to two weeks, and they will follow her about as soon as they are strong enough. The fawns keep their spots until early fall by which time they are usually weaned. They are considered to be in competition for food with domestic livestock, mostly goats. When they are abundant in farming areas, they often become pests and eat crops such as peas, peanuts, wheat and other small grain. The deer population does require management. But that's the topic of another color.

In my opinion, there are animals in the animal kingdom that have absolutely no future. That would be white pigs and white tailed deer. Dee will be visiting the school kids until next week. You need not shed a tear for the deer. She will be transferred to the Cameron Zoo in Waco, Texas.