The movie, Leave the World Behind, has left many people fearing the future. So much so that they believe in just about anything they see on social media. The most recent conspiracy theory involves seeing a herd of deer on Liberty Island. The question is, is it real?
Are there Deer in New York?
Yes, deer can be found in New York. More specifically, the white-tailed deer are native to the state and are part of its rich ecosystem.
Although they aren't commonly found in the busy streets, there is an overabundance of deer population in the state. According to NYC.com: "there are more deer in North America today than any time in history." Their population is expanding in the north Bronx and Staten Island.
This is why the government is looking for ways to deal with their high population levels as they pose a challenge to the health and safety of humans.
Not to mention, the uncontrolled population of deer can have a significant impact on tree regeneration and forest biodiversity. They can also pose a threat to damaging residential gardens, urban forests, and landscape plantings.
Despite this, hunting anywhere in New York City has been deemed illegal so it is out of the question.
Why are People Freaking Out Over These TikTok Videos?
Ever since the movie, Leave the World Behind, was released, social media has been riddled with so many conspiracy theories, from debunking the importance of the White Lion name on the oil tanker in the film to the hidden QR code found on the map in the movie.
The latest conspiracy theory involves TikTok videos of users spotting a herd of deer on Liberty Island. Some even point out that this could be a sign that the animals know something that humans don't.
Thankfully, this is nothing but a marketing strategy from Netflix. The producers of the film have launched a campaign to make people paranoid with the idea of seeing deer popping up in various parts of the world.
So, no, these TikTok videos are fake. The deer you see in these videos were computer-generated.
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Can Deer Be Found on Liberty Island?
You can typically find the white-tailed deer in Pelham Bay and Van Cortlandt Parks in the Bronx and throughout the green spaces of Staten Island. Because deer are capable of swimming distances, they were able to migrate to Staten Island from New Jersey. Meanwhile, they traveled by walking in herds from Westchester to the Bronx.
Because of this, it's not impossible to find deer on Liberty Island. A couple of years ago, a Reddit user even took a picture of a deer he spotted in Liberty State Park.
Despite this, many people are freaking out over these so-called deer sightings on social media. And here's the truth: these TikTok videos are made with CGI to coincide with the film's release.
The common wildlife you're likely to see on Liberty Island include ducks, geese, herons, beavers, and raccoons. So while deer can swim to Liberty Island, it's not something that you should be alarmed with; at least not yet.
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