This is one lucky deer! A young buck got himself stuck in the middle of an icy lake after fleeing from coyotes in Kelowna, Canada. BC Conservation officers were called to Duck Lake and spotted the white-tailed deer struggling on the ice.
British Columbia Conservation Officer Service
“We suspect that coyotes chased it on to the ice,” Ken told Global News. “The hypothermia would have taken over and exhaustion and fatigue,” he said. “And that is when probably at nightfall, the coyotes would have made their way out there, because it is pretty easy travelling for them, so they would have basically had the deer at an advantage.”
British Columbia Conservation Officer Service
The first thing conservation officers Ed Seitz and Ken Owens did was pull a flat bottom boat out towards the deer.
British Columbia Conservation Officer Service
The lake was shrouded in fog allowing them to safely use a tranquilizer dart to sedate the animal. “The fog worked to our advantage to get close to the deer,” said Owens. If the deer had panicked that could have been highly dangerous because of the thin ice.
British Columbia Conservation Officer Service
Once the deer fell unconscious, they loaded him on the boat and took him back to shore.
British Columbia Conservation Officer Service
And when he woke up he was successfully released into the wild.
British Columbia Conservation Officer Service
I’m glad they were able to save the deer! Share this amazing animal rescue with your friends.
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