Photo of deformed deer in Dayton getting online attention

A photo of a deformed deer that was reportedly spotted near Catalpa Avenue in Dayton has been shared numerous times on social media.

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News Center 7’s Kate Bartley asked Brett Beatty of the Ohio Division of Wildlife about the deer and Beatty informed that the deer may be healing from an injury or have a growth similar to warts.

Beatty says it's hard to make out from the photo, but his best guess is the growth on the deer is the way it's healing from an injury or it's a cutaneous fibroma, similar to a wart.

He says the growths are generally harmless unless they get in the way of a deer breathing or eating, the deer looks otherwise healthy.

Beatty says this is certainly not CWD (chronic wasting disease) or the "zombie deer virus" affecting animals in other parts of the United States.