Unicorns Exist in Real Life

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http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080611/koddities/italy_unicorn'Unicorn'

Unicorn spotted in Italian nature preserve

Wed Jun 11, 10:43 AM

By The Associated Press

ROME - A deer with a single horn in the centre of its head - much like the fabled, mythical unicorn - has been spotted in a nature preserve in Italy.

The one-year-old Roe Deer - nicknamed "Unicorn" - was born in captivity in a park in the Tuscan town of Prato, near Florence. He is believed to have been born with a genetic flaw; his twin has two horns.

Calling it the first time he has seen such a case, an official at Prato's Centre of Natural Sciences said today such anomalies among deer may have inspired the myth of the unicorn.

The unicorn, a horse-like creature with magical healing powers, has appeared in legends and stories throughout history, from ancient and medieval texts to the adventures of Harry Potter.

Experts say single-horned deer are rare but not unheard of - but even more unusual is the central positioning of the horn.

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