The sufferer suffered a deep puncture wound and extreme bruising to her left leg
The sufferer described the deer as a younger mule deer buck “with two spikes on every antler.” Man Sagi / Adobe inventory
Wildlife officers with Colorado Parks and Wildlife are trying to find a younger mule deer buck that attacked an aged girl over the weekend. They plan to euthanize the deer if discovered, in accordance with a Sunday press release.
The 67-year-old sufferer, whose identification has not been launched, was attacked by the buck on Saturday outdoors her dwelling in Silver Cliff, a small city of about 600 that lies 55 miles west of Pueblo. Quickly after she stepped outdoors her entrance door, the buck charger her, decreasing its antlers and goring her within the left leg. (Graphic picture warning: photograph under.) The girl was in a position to get again inside and name her husband, who notified authorities instantly. The sufferer suffered a deep puncture wound and severe bruising on her decrease left leg, and she or he was taken to a hospital in Pueblo for therapy. Her present medical situation stays unknown.
When she reported the assault to CPW, the sufferer described the mule deer as a younger, fork-horned buck. She advised officers that the buck went again to sparring with one other younger buck in her yard quickly after the assault.
CPW officers investigated the scene later that day and located a hen feeder within the yard. The sufferer additionally defined that she commonly feeds the birds by hand and had thrown out bread earlier that day. This, alongside the truth that the assault occurred simply outdoors somebody’s entrance door, led officers to imagine that the deer was associating folks with meals and had misplaced its concern of people.
“I imagine this can be a good instance of what occurs when deer lose their pure concern of people,” CPW Space Wildlife Supervisor Mike Brown mentioned within the press launch. “They change into aggressive and harmful. This can be a good reminder that wild animals ought to at all times be handled as such, and that folks want to offer wildlife the house they want.”
Wildlife officers have been nonetheless trying to find the buck as of Monday afternoon, in accordance with CPW public info officer Invoice Vogrin. Saturday’s assault is the second of its form documented in Colorado this 12 months. In mid-October, one other girl was attacked by an aggressive mule deer buck whereas taking part in basketball on a public courtroom in Aspen. She suffered minor accidents to her arms whereas shielding her face, however declined medical consideration, in accordance with CPW. A subsequent investigation decided that the sufferer did nothing to instigate the assault. Officers additionally realized that the identical deer had been performing aggressively and approaching different folks on the town. That deer was situated and euthanized.