Key Deer Found Tied Up In Trunk Of Car Euthanized
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LITTLE TORCH KEY (CBSMiami/AP) — An endangered Key deer found tied up in the back of a car last weekend has been euthanized.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Robert Dube says a buck was put down Thursday morning because of a leg injury.
The deer, along with two others, was found when a Monroe County sheriff's deputy pulled over their car on Little Torch Key early Sunday for having a tail light out. The deputy found two doe in the back seat and the buck in the trunk. The two doe appeared uninjured, but the buck was limping.
The federally protected deer are found only in the Florida Keys, where their population is about 600-800.
The two men in the car, Erik Damas and Tumani Younge, are accused of capturing the deer each face three felony and nine misdemeanor charges. They could still face additional federal charges.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)