Unicorns are imaginary, right? Not necessarily, according to new scientific evidence from the European country of Slovenia. Over the summer, a man hunting roe deer in the countryside shot and killed what appears to be some sort of unicorn-deer hybrid.
Here is the animal’s skull, and it really seems like it would come from a unicorn. What looks like the horn of the “unicorn” is actually an antler deformity. After the hunter saw what he did, he called in scientists who verified the authenticity of the animal. They said they’ve never seen anything like it before.
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Only male roe deer grow antlers. Deformed antlers are actually common within the species. Usually the deformities are caused by an injury early in life while antlers are still developing.
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The roe deer population in Slovenia, while abundant, is highly controlled by the government. The hunter who shot the “unicorn” picked it out because of its advanced age. At the distance from where the hunter shot, it wasn’t clear just how special this particular roe deer was.
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According to the hunter, it just looked like the deer had one antler from a distance, rather than a unicorn-esque horn.
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H/T: National Geographic
The scientists examining the remains of the “unicorn” said the animal actually appeared to be incredibly healthy. It was also possible that this deer had mates. So who knows? Maybe a whole new species of unicorn-deer are only a few decades away.
