Victoria volunteers free deer from sports netting tangled around antlers

A group of volunteers, supported by a veterinarian, removed tangled netting from a deer's antlers in Victoria.

A determined group of volunteers in Victoria worked to help a deer who spent days with sports netting wrapped around its antlers, and are sharing the story in hopes of preventing future entanglements.

Ryan Michael runs the Facebook group Friends of Vancouver Island, where users share photos and stories highlighting local nature and wildlife. On Tuesday, a group of 10 people gathered in the Fairfield neighbourhood in an attempt to find and free the deer.

“It was super inspiring to know that the community could come together and actually work together and have this animal finally freed after almost 72 hours,” Michael told CTV News. “It was emotional. There was random people walking by that were moved to tears. Super cool.”

The rescue effort involved tracking the animal for hours before a veterinarian could tranquilize it and cut off the netting.

“After a short nap, the deer slowly woke up, looked back at us one last time, and then wandered off to graze — finally free,” Michael wrote in a Facebook update.

The incident should serve as a reminder to people about the dangers of leaving unattended sports nets up in their yards, Michael said.

“It’s heartbreaking that situations like this happen every year in the same area. This should not be a yearly occurrence — we have to do better than this. If you have a badminton, volleyball, or similar net, please take it down when not in use so wildlife doesn’t suffer like this,” he wrote on Facebook.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service said it did not send anyone to respond to the deer because it was moving and eating freely, and the animal was not a public safety threat.

RELATED STORIES:

• ‘Mega-fat’ marmot captivates photographer in Kamloops, B.C., park
• Healed after being hit by a car, B.C. fawn reunites with mother
• Newborn fawn rescued from Okanagan cliff