A Colorado woman has been cited with two misdemeanours after a buck deer she raised at her home gored a neighbour last week.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said in a new release on Tuesday that Tynette Housley of Black Forest told wildlife officers that she raised a fawn after taking it into her home more than a year ago. She kept it in her garage, home and on her property.
Ms Housley was cited with illegal possession of wildlife and illegally feeding wildlife, and was issued a warning for possessing live wildlife at her home without a license. The two misdemeanours carry fines and surcharges totalling $1,098 (£834.66)
Ms Housley’s neighbour was attacked by the deer on Friday morning, when she was walking her dog near her home.
The attack lasted for several minutes, and the neighbour was subsequently hospitalised overnight after suffering serious cuts to her face, cheeks and legs, according to the Denver Post.
The victim told investigators from her hospital bed that she was “surprised” when she noticed that the deer was following her and was “shocked” when it attacked her.
She said that the deer repeatedly knocked her down and started “trashing her with its antlers,” while CPW added that it “gored her.”
After a few minutes, the victim managed to flee to her home and hide in her garage behind two cars, and CPW said that “the deer even continued to attack as she frantically opened her garage door.”
The wildlife officer who responded to the scene said that they discovered the deer with “fresh blood covering its antlers,” and added that it “aggressively” approached them.
The officer then euthanized the deer and took it to a CPW facility in Fort Collins, where it was tested for rabies and other diseases.
CPW’s news release said: “The deer’s stomach contents confirm it was being fed by humans as it contained out-of-season foods including hay, grain, corn and possibly potato.”
Frank McGee, CPW’s area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region, said: “We can’t say it enough: Wild animals are not pets.
“Feeding deer habituates them to humans. They lose their fear of humans and that leads to these outcomes that are tragic for both wildlife and people.”
Mr McGee added: “Injured and orphaned wildlife should be taken to licensed wildlife rehabilitators.”
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