A man saw a strange creature in the forest and called rescuers

Herds of white-tailed deer grazing just outside the backyards are a familiar sight for many New Jerseyans. Especially after spring came and it got warmer.

But a Colts Neck resident saw a different and far stranger sight from his backyard last week. It was beginning to get dark, and at first glance, the man thought he saw something like an alien walking through the trees, with four legs and a helmeted head in a spacesuit.

But after a closer look, the man realized that it was actually a young deer that was in serious trouble. A round glass jar or vase was stuck on his head and the animal could not remove it.

Since the deer was alone, the man realized that the other animals in the herd were avoiding him as they would do to an animal that was sick, injured or too old. Such individuals attracted the attention of predators to the herd. So the deer had to be rescued urgently.

The man contacted the local branch of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as well as the New Jersey Division of Wildlife. Rescuers arrived quickly and, after they managed to dart the deer, proceeded to inspect it.

«The container of glass appeared to be part of a light fixture and apparently had previously been partially filled with water. The deer probably saw it somewhere on the ground, tried to drink from it and got stuck. He had been going like this for at least four days, judging by the way he began to suffer from dehydration and starvation. He had a few scrapes, but overall he was still strong. After the effects of the sleeping pills wore off, he was able to get up and leave.»

A little later that day, rescuers received another call, this time from another man. He reported a lone deer that seemed weak and in need of help. It was the same deer.

Rescuers found him, examined him again, and gave him a shot of dehydration medication. After that, the deer’s condition normalized and his breathing became even. In front of the rescuers’ eyes, the deer revived and disappeared into the woods.

There have been no reports of a lone weak reindeer since then, and it is assumed that the reindeer safely returned to its herd.