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
Robert Pickton to remain in medically induced coma until later this week: police
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
'Five feet nothing': Pickton's safety likely behind Quebec transfer, says ex-prison judge
When serial killer Robert Pickton was transferred from British Columbia's Kent Institution to a maximum security prison in Quebec about six years ago, correctional authorities gave no public explanation or confirmation at the time, citing privacy.
'I feel betrayed': Ottawa-area customers out thousands of dollars warn of bad faith contractor
A group of people from eastern Ontario and western Quebec is issuing a warning about Dennis Walker and his company Vue Windows.
Fancy pigeon outfitted in custom diaper has free rein in B.C. family home
When Chrissy Chin volunteered to take in a fancy pigeon abandoned on a park bench, she never imagined she would one day be ordering custom-made diapers for the bird – who lives in her house and has become a member of the family.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
5 dead and at least 35 hurt in Iowa tornado: officials
Five people died and at least 35 were hurt as powerful tornadoes ripped through Iowa Tuesday, with one carving a path of destruction through the town of Greenfield, officials said.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.