The audience is shown a disturbing sight of a small deer covered in warts or growths on its skin. The deer appears to be in great discomfort and pain, with chunks of black, rotten skin falling off as it moves. The condition is called deer warts, which is a common skin disease that occurs throughout the range of deer. These warty growths vary in size and typically appear around the eyes, mouth, face, neck, and forelimbs, often appearing cracked, infected, and lumpy. Some deer have been found with more than 200 warts, causing the infected deer to look scary and nasty.

Deer warts are only attached to the skin, not the underlying muscle and bone, so deer are generally unaffected by the condition unless the location or size of the growth interferes with their normal movement, feeding, or vision. The masses usually regress and eventually disappear with time. However, the deer in the video appears to have severe infections that make it hard for the animal to move and eat, and it looks like it may not survive.

The disease transmission of deer warts is not entirely known, but it has been suggested that transmission occurs through direct contact between broken skin and infectious material. Rutting or fighting among males during the rut or rubbing of antlers to shed velvet may also play a role in disease spread, and biting insects may also be involved in disease transmission.

Sadly, there is no effective and broadly applicable treatment for deer warts in captive animals. In severe cases, impacted deer should be left alone in the wild, and wildlife rehabilitators may provide care for and encourage the health of deer that are negatively impacted. In cases where a deer is unable to eat, see, or move normally, euthanasia may be the most appropriate course of action.

Humans that come in contact with sick deer are not at risk of becoming infected, as the virus that causes this disease is not known to infect humans. However, another disease called chronic wasting disease affects deer, which is caused by an abnormal protein in the body that affects the brain and nervous system. Infected animals display symptoms such as weight loss, poor coordination, stumbling, drooling, trembling, and depression, and they eventually die. This disease spreads quickly and easily between animals through saliva, urine, feces, tissue, and even through plants and soil.

In conclusion, it is heartbreaking to witness these lovely creatures suffer from deer warts and chronic wasting disease. There is no cure or vaccine for these diseases, and the only solution is to manage and contain the spread of the disease. We must take steps to protect wildlife and their habitats to prevent the spread of these diseases and ensure their survival.