Wildlife conservation officials helped free a fawn after it became stuck in a fence in north Nanaimo yesterday, with the young deer no worse for the wear.
Sgt. Stuart Bates, with B.C. Conservation Officer Service, said the incident took place in the Hammond Bay area the afternoon of Sept. 16. Officers helped the fawn wriggle free and other than some worn fur off its sides with some redness, it didn’t appear to have suffered any injuries .
“I deal with it quite a bit here in town … the fawns walk through those wrought iron gates all summer and this time of year, their pelvises are just a little wider than they used to be and they get caught,” Bates told the News Bulletin. “They’re actually fairly quick and easy to get out. We don’t want people touching them because I’ve done it and well, they bite.”
Once free, the fawn bounded off with another deer, according to Bates.
“When I went to set it down nearby, there was another deer standing there and they took off together,” said Bates. “I didn’t get a really good look at the other one because I came around the corner and it was standing right there and it bolted and when I put the other one down, it took off. It may have been a sibling, it may have been its mother.”
If people encounter similar situations, Bates advises calling the conservation service immediately. The woman who reported the incident did the right thing and stayed away, as fawns can become stressed when humans are nearby, not knowing that people are there to try to help, Bates said.
Entrapped deer can also die from capture myopathy, according to Bates.
“We’ve had it where we set them free and they end up dying a couple of days later,” he said. “It’s just a build-up of toxins in their system and it just overwhelms their kidneys.”
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reporter@nanaimobulletin.com
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