KENORA ONT. — A deer in the community of Kenora Ont. provides a cautionary tale when it comes to littering and feeding wild animals.
Local residents of the community in Northwestern Ontario and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry came to the aid of a deer that got into a serious predicament after sticking its head into a plastic bag.
Ministry staff were concerned the animal was in danger of asphyxiation.
Various people who spotted the animal in trouble last Thursday evening and Friday morning said they initially tried to remove the bag themselves, but were unable to get close enough.
Myrtle Letander was one of the individuals who tried to gain the doe's trust so she could pull the birdseed bag from its head and neck.
But she told TBnewsatch in an interview Tuesday that each time she got close, other deer that were nearby became aggressive and tried to attack it with their hooves.
Letander said she also feared for her own safety.
After receiving calls about the deer from concerned residents on Friday, ministry personnel who responded immediately became concerned because the animal appeared to have trouble breathing.
They decided to sedate it in order to remove the bag.
Once that was done and the deer regained its mobility, it was released back in the same area.
According to Letander, the animal appeared to be doing well and was interacting normally with other deer when she saw it again Friday evening.
Urban deer have become a serious nuisance in Kenora.
Making food available for deer and other wild animals is prohibited by a municipal by-law, except for birdfeeders that are permitted if they are at least eight feet off the ground.
