If you’ve never seen wild deer, you might think of them as strange and exotic creatures, and while that’s not wrong, it’s also not entirely true. You just have to be in the right place to see them. New Jersey residents will tell you that it’s not uncommon to see wild deer grazing in your backyard. You see them also on the side of the road, especially when the weather warms up.
However, one Colts Neck owner got the surprise of the season when he spotted an animal unlike anything he’d seen before. In the dark, the animal appeared with a brown, downy body and stubby legs. Its head was all round, like a soap bubble or an astronaut’s helmet. What could it be?
On closer inspection, the strange creature turned out to be a young deer that got into trouble. Not only had the young deer put its head in a heavy glass shell, it was also moving on its own.
Not only was his head stuck and he could neither eat nor drink, but his listeners left the pasture without him. The Monmouth County SPCA (MCSPCA) reported in a press release: ,,Some animal species treat their members as pariahs when they have a different look or injuries. They do that to not invite predators or disturb the integrity of the pack.
This meant that time was running out for the deer if its rescuer did not act quickly. The resident called for help from the MCSPCA, which immediately arrived, and the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife.
After putting the deer to sleep, the rescue team went to work. “We removed the glass cup. It turned out to be a lamp cover. The deer tried to reach water from it.” the MCSPCA wrote on Facebook. “After four days without food or water, the deer dehydrated and had some abrasions, likely due to poor vision. He was able to get up and escape after we cleaned him and the anesthesia wore off.”
The deer’s future was full of hope when we removed the bowl. However, nothing was well from then on. The concerned passerby called the MCSPCA again later that day. The doe settled down and was having trouble breathing as it was too weak to find its herd.
Deann Bowen, a veterinary technician with the MCSPCA, hurried to help the goat. She gave him fluids, and it turned out to be absolutely what he needed. “We witnessed that he was completely dehydrated. After we gave him the fluid, his head woke up after a short time and his breathing turned back to normal.
After a forceful winter and some mishaps with the light fixture, the deer was eventually ready to go. Rescuers saw him recover, take a few wobbly steps and leap over a fence to return to the wild.
“They informed the Monmouth County SPCA that there is not a single fed deer. The press release states. We fortunately believe that he returned to its herd.”
