Did you know: Southeast Missouri's unusual animals

For the most part, Southeast Missouri's wild critters aren't too exotic.

Armadillos, the occasional feral hog and seemingly prehistoric alligator gar in the Mississippi River are about as wild as the wildlife gets in the region.

The recent capture of a hatchling alligator in a Cape Girardeau neighborhood, though, reminded that every now and then, an unusual animal will rear its head.

Among some of the most unusual animal sightings in Southeast Missouri:

Susanne Schonhoff captured this image of an albino whitetail deer in Cape Girardeau County in October 2011.Southeast Missourian file

Susanne Schonhoff captured this image of an albino whitetail deer in Cape Girardeau County in October 2011.Southeast Missourian file

• Narwhal, "The Unicorn Puppy" -- Golden retriever puppies are common. A golden retriever puppy with a tail growing out of his forehead? Well, that's not. Found in the Kansas City, Missouri, area in November 2019, the 10-week-old puppy became an internet star because of the "tail" growing out of the middle of his forehead. Taken in by Mac's Mission, a Jackson-based rescue for animals with disabilities, the puppy soon had a name -- Narwhal. He's doing well these days, extra tail and all. Read more here.
• "The Great White Buck" -- For several years, an albino whitetail deer, a sizable buck, roamed Cape Girardeau County woodlands. In December 2014, a bowhunter killed the buck. Wildlife experts estimate albino whitetails number from one in 30,000 to one in 100,000 deer. Read more here.
• Two-headed snake -- Missouri Department of Conservation Nature Center in Cape Girardeau has been home to a two-headed snake for going on two decades. The black rat snake marked its 18th birthday in April. Read more here.
• Lions on an island -- In 1932, Denver Wright of St. Louis, a former resident of Cape Girardeau, saw an advertisement from Des Moines, Iowa -- lions for sale. Envisioning his own lion hunt safari in Southeast Missouri, Wright purchased two lions and set them loose on an island in the middle of the Mississippi River near Commerce. However, he didn't get to embark on his hunt. According to a Southeast Missourian report, hours after the lions had been loosed on the island, Scott County deputy sheriff Tom Hodgkiss, Commerce resident Tom Wise and two newspaper reporters arrived at the island to investigate the matter. The investigation soon turned deadly, as Wise killed both animals with a sub-machine gun. Read more here.
• Jackson bear -- bears are not common in Southeast Missouri, but their presence isn't unheard of. In 2006, several Jackson residents reported seeing a black bear in the area, and one resident collided with the bear on East Jackson Boulevard, killing the animal. Read more here.
• Puxico bobcats -- In 2015, bobcat sightings in the Mingo Wildlife Refuge became more common, with one hefty specimen -- toward the upper end of the species' 50-pound size range -- seemingly posing for U.S. Fish and Wildlife cameras. Read more here.

This two-headed black rat snake celebrated its 18th birthday in April at Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center.Southeast Missourian file

This two-headed black rat snake celebrated its 18th birthday in April at Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center.Southeast Missourian file