Here are some of the more peskey critters I've run into so far: These Procyon lotor or Raccoon kits stopped traffic on forest home drive with their cuteness! More sinister by far is the appearance of Odocoileus virginianus, the White-tailed Deer in the wildflower garden. While a native species, their lack of a natural predator due to its removal by humans has caused an imbalance between their population and that of the native plants they choose for food. As a result they are having a profound negative effect on biodiversity and forest regeneration. Aside from this they also cause massive amounts of property damage and endanger the lives of drivers. As can be see in this photo Cornell University and the Plantations are working on tagging and tracking the local deer to study there behaviors and better understand how to control them. These measures are part of an array of programs utilized by Plantations and the university to curtail deer activity. Others measures include: hunting, sterilization, repellent spraying, and protective fencing of sensitive areas.