I’ve biked through Forest Lawn Cemetery countless times, and I’ve seen some breathtaking wildlife including plenty of wild turkeys. Over the last couple of years I had heard rumors that there was a lone deer in wandering the grounds, but with each visit I never caught a glimpse of the animal, and eventually wondered if the rumors were false. Over the weekend I was passing along the Delaware Avenue side of Forest Lawn when I spied this buck. For a quick second I actually thought that it was a monument… then it turned its head towards me.
As I approached the iron fence I noticed that there was a second buck resting on the ground, close to the first. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Being an animal lover, I was relieved to know that there were in fact two deer keeping each other company, and that they were both bucks so as not to present a future overpopulation problem. The bucks appeared to be enjoying their surroundings and I am hopeful that Forest Lawn views them as an asset rather than a nuisance. I believe that Buffalo Audubon hosts some animal tracking programs – tracking deer prints adds a bit of interest to the outings. Also, the animals eat the grass around the headstones, which helps to keep the grounds looking nice. At this point, between hunting season and sprawl, these are probably a couple of the happiest and safest deer around as long as they don’t escape and head towards Elmwood.