A deer that a Colorado woman raised from fawn to buck had to be euthanized after it attacked and gored her neighbor on a walk last week, according to state officials.
Tynette Housley, 73, of Black Forest — about 20 miles northeast of Colorado Springs — was issued two misdemeanor citations connected to the illegal keeping of wild animals, according a statement issued by the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife (CPW).
The unnamed victim, from a hospital bed, told the department that she was "surprised to notice the deer following her and then shocked when it attacked, knocking her down and thrashing her with its antlers."
The deer chased her, knocked her down repeatedly and continued to attack until she squeezed between two cars in her garage, the statement said.
"The victim suffered serious lacerations to her head, cheek and legs ... and was hospitalized overnight for treatment of her injuries before being released."
The wildlife officer who responded to the scene was "aggressively approached" by the deer, fresh blood still covering its antlers, the agency said. An image released by CPW after the animal was euthanized showed the bloody antlers.
“We can’t say it enough: Wild animals are not pets,” Frank McGee, the CPW's area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region, said in a statement.
“Feeding deer habituates them to humans. They lose their fear of humans and that leads to these outcomes that are tragic for both wildlife and people. Injured and orphaned wildlife should be taken to licensed wildlife rehabilitators.”
