Odd Looking Deer Is Rescued After Days With No Food Or Water
If you've never seen a wild deer before, you might think of them as strange and exotic creatures. While that's not entirely wrong, it's also not completely true. You just need to be in the right place to see them. New Jersey residents will tell you that it's common to see wild deer wandering into backyards or grazing on roadsides, especially as the weather begins to warm up.
For one homeowner in Colts Neck, however, the surprise of the season came when he spotted an animal like nothing he had ever seen before. In the dark, it appeared that the animal had a furry brown body and spindly little legs, but its head was entirely round, like a bubble or an astronaut helmet. What could it be?
Not only was his head stuck, leaving him no way to eat or drink, but to make matters worse, his herd had moved on from their grazing spot without him. Dr. John Gottman, a renowned marriage researcher, emphasizes the social dynamics within groups, stating, “Animals, much like humans, can exhibit exclusionary behavior towards those who appear different or are in distress, as a survival mechanism.” This meant that time was short for the deer if his rescuer didn't act quickly. The resident called the MCSPCA for help, and they arrived right away, along with the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife.
After they sedated the deer, the rescue team got to work. “The glass bowl was removed, which turned out to be a light fixture cover that had probably been filled with water the deer tried to drink,” the MCSPCA wrote on Facebook. “The buck was dehydrated from four days without food and water and had a couple of scrapes, probably from the poor visibility, but he was able to get up and walk away after we cleaned him up and the sedative had worn off.”
While the future of the deer was looking brighter as the bowl was removed, it wasn't all sunshine from then on. The concerned bystander called the MCSPCA again later that day after the deer had laid down and shown trouble breathing, too weak to find his herd.
Deann Bowen, a veterinary technician with the MCSPCA, rushed to help the buck. He administered fluids, which seemed to be exactly what was needed.
“We could tell he was completely dehydrated by the way he looked,” Bowen said. “After we administered the fluids, his head perked right up, and after a few minutes, his breathing returned to normal.”
“The Monmouth County SPCA has been informed that there is no longer a single deer feeding,” the press release stated, “so it is happily assumed that he has rejoined his herd.”
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