I was actually more surprised to see deer at Caneel Bay in St. John than I was to see the wild donkeys. Not that I find deer in general a surprising sight — I’ve seen them countless times all over New York State, Connecticut and other places like that. But what were deer doing in this island paradise?

I thought that the deer liked hanging out in the woods in temperate climates, not braving extreme humidity on the beach. It was like Bambi meets The Little Mermaid.

It turns out that deer in St. John have a rich history. White-tail deer were first brought over to the US Virgin Islands in 1792. But then in 1937, a lot more deer were transported to St. John (and St. Thomas) as part of the Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937. At least they didn’t have to work when they arrived like the donkeys did.