Photo courtesy of Centro di Scienze Naturali This photo provided by the Center of Natural Sciences in Prato, Italy, shows a deer with a single horn in the center of its head. The one-year-old Roe Deer - nicknamed "Unicorn'' - was born in captivity in the research center's park in the Tuscan town of Prato, near Florence. image:41424:7::0

According to the Center of Natural Sciences in Prato, Italy, a deer with a single horn was born in the research center's park. Much like the mythical unicorn. Gilberto Tozzi, director of the Center of Natural Sciences, said: "He is believed to have been born with a genetic flaw; his twin has two horns.

Being the first time he's seen such a case, Tozzi suggests that it is precisely these kind of cases that may have inspired the myth of the unicorn.

"This shows that even in past times, there could have been animals with this anomaly," Tozzi said, "It's not like they dreamed it up," he said.

Though single horned deers are not unheard of, this case is unique owing to the positioning of the horn in the centre. Fulvio Fraticelli, scientific director of Rome's zoo, suggests that the horn might be the result of trauma early in the animal's life.

However it is left to determine the exact reason for the phenomenon, genetic flaws or a reason to believe in magical realities.