He’d been stuck like that for five days 😱
Herds of white-tailed deer grazing in backyards and on the sides of roadways are a common sight in New Jersey, especially as the weather warms. However, one resident in Colts Neck received the surprise of the season last week after observing an animal unlike anything seen before.
In the dark, the animal looked to have a shaggy brown body, spindly legs, and a perfectly spherical head, almost like an astronaut’s helmet.
On closer inspection, the homeowner discovered the unearthly creature was a young buck – and he was in big trouble.
The deer’s head had been imprisoned in a glass bowl, and if the hefty headgear wasn’t enough to draw attention, the buck was made much more obvious by the fact that he was riding alone.
The buck, shunned by his family, could only eat and drink after his herd had departed their grazing place. “Some animals will consider individuals as outsiders if they look unusual or are damaged in order to avoid inviting predators or disrupting the integrity of the herd,” the Monmouth County SPCA (MCSPCA) stated in a press statement.
The resident understood that time was of the importance in order to save the young buck, who had been unable to eat on growing trees and flora for days due to the glass barrier surrounding his head. As a result, the homeowner sought assistance from the MCSPCA as well as the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife.
The rescue squad set to work as soon as the buck was spotted and anesthetized. “The glass bowl was removed,” the MCSPCA posted on Facebook. “It proved out to be a light fixture cover, which had possibly been filled with water the deer sought to drink.” “The buck was exhausted after four days without food and drink, and he had a number of scratches from the poor vision, but he was able to get up and go away when we cleaned him up and the sedative wore off.”
While the deer looked to have regained his vigor after his head was removed, he still need assistance throughout the Easter holiday. Later that day, the MCSPCA received another contact from a worried neighbor, who noted the deer had lain back down and was having difficulty breathing, too weak to find his herd.
Deann Bowen, an MCSPCA veterinary technician, came to the incident and administered fluids to the deer, which appeared to work. “By the way he appeared, we could tell he was very dehydrated,” Bowen stated in a news statement. “Within we gave him the fluids, his head perked straight up, and his breathing returned to normal after a few minutes.”
Rescue personnel watched as the deer stood up, took a few shaky steps, and then bolted over a fence and into a forested area. The young buck can now enjoy a period of rejuvenation and delight after surviving a terrible winter of snow and shortages, made worse by an unlucky run-in with a discarded light fixture.
According to the press release, “the Monmouth County SPCA has been informed that there is no longer a lone deer feeding,” therefore “it is joyously expected that he has rejoined his herd.”
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