In New Jersey, it’s not uncommon to see herds of white-tailed deer in the residential areas. They’re often seen roaming around the neighborhood and grazing.
However, one day, a local Colts Neck man saw a deer and had to look twice. He’d never seen anything like it because it had a strange shape to its head. The body and general frame of the deer looked fine, but the head was not what it should be.
The man decided to take a closer look to understand what he was looking at. He approached the deer slowly and realized the deer was a young buck. This deer was far from fine, though—he was in trouble.
The buck was alone out in the woods, which was already concerning. On top of that, his head looked as though it were stuck in a glass globe.
It turned out that the deer had gotten his head stuck in a glass sphere that had come from a light fixture. It’s hard to imagine how he could have done that! His family had ostracized him, sadly, because of his strange new accessory. He was alone and without help until this local had found him.
According to a press release from the Monmouth County SPCA (MCSPCA), “Certain species will treat members as outcasts if they look different or are injured so to not invite predators or disrupt the integrity of the herd.”
Being alone was detrimental to his health
Without a herd or anyone else to look after him, the deer was unable to eat or drink for days. The local man contacted the MCSPCA and the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife for help.
Rescuers arrived to help the poor dear (see what we did there?). They made sure that the deer was safe to approach and handle. Then, they worked to remove the glass sphere from the deer’s head.
It had been four days since the deer had last been able to eat and drink. The deer also had scrapes that were likely from not being able to see too well. Despite this, after the deer was cleaned up and the sedative had worn off, he was able to get up and walk away.
The struggle wasn’t over though. Though the fixture was gone, MCSPCA was called again because the deer hadn’t left. The deer didn’t have enough strength to find his herd. He stayed lying on the ground, struggling to breathe.
Deann Bowen, a veterinary technician, was thankfully able to come and administer fluids to the deer. This helped immensely and allowed the deer to get back on his feet for good!
It’s been reported to the MCSPCA that there’s no longer a single deer feeding in the area, so it is assumed this deer has been able to rejoin his herd.
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