A Colorado woman was charged with two misdemeanors after her pet deer attacked and gored a neighbor, CNN reported.
The deer repeatedly attacked a woman who was out walking her dog in Black Forest, Colorado, which is north of Colorado Springs, according to a statement from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), per CNN. The victim was hospitalized overnight due to serious lacerations to her head, cheek and legs and bruises.
“From her hospital bed, the victim described to CPW being surprised to notice the deer following her and then shocked when it attacked, knocking her down and thrashing her with its antlers,” the statement read.
A Colorado woman was cited with two misdemeanors for illegally raising a young deer that attacked and gored one of her neighbors, according to state wildlife officials https://t.co/m2rQ9porXJ
— CNN (@CNN) October 21, 2020
“The victim tried to run to a neighbor’s house and then to her own home. Repeatedly, the deer knocked her down and gored her. The deer even continued to attack as she frantically opened her garage door. It relented only when she ran between two cars in her garage,” the statement added.
Officials cited 73-year-old Tynette Housley with illegal possession of wildlife and illegally feeding wildlife, both misdemeanors, CPW’s statement added. The misdemeanors could lead to fines of over $1,000. Housley was also given a warning for possessing wildlife without a license.
Authorities said Housley took in the deer as a young fawn and raised it for over a year.
The CPW officer responding to the call found the buck with fresh blood on its antlers.” The officer euthanized the animal and took it to CPW’s animal health lab to test for rabies, according to the statement. (RELATED: ‘Tiger King’ Star Doc Antle Indicted On Animal Cruelty, Wildlife Trafficking Charges)
“We can’t say it enough: Wild animals are not pets,” Frank McGee, CPW’s area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region said in the 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.”