Neighbours worried about deer living near busy Waterloo road
A group of Waterloo residents are concerned for the safety of a wild deer living in their neighbourhood.
People in the Bridge Street area say the animal keeps popping up along their busy road – and they’re asking for help to return it to its proper home.
Rebecca Scholl said she saw the deer roaming through her neighbourhood on Lexington Road Friday night. The next day it came back – this time standing only a few yards from her front door.
“It’s just odd to see it in our neighbourhood,” Scholl said Monday. “We’ve been here over 12 years. It’s not a regular occurrence.”
Several people have reached out to CTV News, saying they’ve seen the same deer multiple times and are worried about its safety.
“It’s a high traffic area, especially when it was here late at night,” Scholl said. “My main concern is that it’s going to get hit.”
“How are we going to get this deer back to where it came from?”
A photo shows the animal munching on someone's yard. (Submitted)
The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth received numerous calls about the overly-social ungulate over the weekend.
The organization said they sent an animal services officer to check on the deer and it appears to be in good health.
‘It’s not skittish at all’
So where did the deer come from? And why is it so comfortable around people?
“You can get really close to it – about four, five feet away – and it’s not skittish at all,” Scholl said.
According to wildlife experts, that’s not normal.
“No wild deer will allow people to approach,” said Chantal Theijn, a wildlife custodian at Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge. “So either somebody has been feeding or somebody, in fact, has been hand-raising it.”
In most cases, Ontario’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act prohibits keeping wild animals in captivity.
Theijn said that would explain the deer’s behaviour, although it would be hard to verify.
“Being that the deer is now free to go where it wants to go, we’d have to prove that someone kept it in captivity,” Theijn said.
Deer live where they want, say experts
When it comes to relocating the animal, experts say that’s up to the deer – and no one else.
“It’s a wild animal and they are free to be where they area,” Theijn said.
The humane society says people should give the deer time and keep their distance.
“Stay away from them, give them time to return to their own natural habitat,” Victoria Baby, CEO of the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth. “Don’t try and feed them or get close to them. Eventually they will return to where they came from.”
If you find a wild animal that is sick or injured, the province recommends calling a wildlife custodian.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Conservatives, NDP should be 'celebrating' EV deals: industry minister
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says federal opposition parties should be 'celebrating' the recently announced electric vehicle deals, despite their criticisms the Liberals refuse to make public the terms and conditions laid out in the contracts.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Banking mogul suing government after intelligence leaks leave him shut out of Canadian economy
Chinese Canadian banking mogul Shenglin Xian has launched a $300 million lawsuit against the federal government. It’s a means to find the source of intelligence leaks which Xian says has cost him his livelihood.
His SUV was stolen on Montreal's South Shore. Then he got a $156 parking ticket
A couple is frustrated after their SUV was stolen from Montreal's South Shore in March and they received a parking ticket for the same vehicle last week.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Evacuation orders lifted in Fort McMurray Saturday as rain dampens wildfire activity
Residents of Fort of McMurray who were displaced over wildfire concerns were told to return home Saturday.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs abuse allegations: A timeline of key events
In the six months since singer Cassie filed a lawsuit against Sean Combs, a wave of similar cases and public allegations against one of the most influential music moguls of the past three decades have occurred.