A white-tailed deer is getting a lot of attention in a Pennsylvania town this week.
While the breed may be a common sight in Bethel Park, one buck in particular prompted concerned members of the community to reach out to the Bethel Park Police Department in droves — so much so that the department issued a statement to address the situation.
On Nov. 11, BPPD said they were aware of a “deer with netting in its antlers.”
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They advised residents that if they come across an animal and it appears to be stuck or in distress, to notify the Game Commission at (724) 238-9523. The organization would try to locate the deer and remove the net.
“Our local animal control cannot handle this type of problem. He was last seen in the area of Kings School Rd and Clifton Rd,” the statement continued.
PEOPLE reached out to the Game Commission on Thursday, but could not confirm whether the buck was definitely found.
CBS News Pittsburgh spoke with Bethel Park hunter Bill Magnotti about the deer in question in an article shared Tuesday.
According to Magnotti, the village is almost overrun with deer.
“We’re pretty polluted,” he said. “Sometimes it’s devastating.”
The netting in the deer’s antlers is black and white, which could suggest Halloween decorations from a recent holiday. “It’s been around for a while,” Magnotti added of the deer.
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“It happens. They come in around houses. One day they jumped over my fence and held my nylon fence by the horns for a while.”
Bethel Park’s website says other more serious problems have occurred due to the growing deer population, including a 40% increase in vehicle-related deer incidents since 2018.
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Furthermore, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) consistently ranks Pennsylvania among the five states with the highest number of traffic fatalities involving animals.
As for bucks with netting in their antlers, Magnotti believes they will be just fine. “They lose their antlers anywhere from January to March,” he said.
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A collared deer seen in Jefferson County, Missouri in October.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
In early October, the Missouri Department of Conservation was called to respond to another strange deer situation after a photo went viral on social media.
“Wild animals should not be kept as pets, and deer in particular should not be removed from their habitat,” the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in response to a picture of a deer with the word “pet” written in large black letters on the side of the animal.
The deer also had a necklace around its neck.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education