Deer spotted with collar and ‘PET’ painted on body in Missouri

deer
Photo: JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/PEOPLE

Cuffing creatures of the wild to strict domesticating shackles is a heinous crime on the part of humanity, as well as a prevalent one. Enough videos have surfaced on the internet showing a person keeping a wild tiger, or leopard, or cheetah tied at home just to release it as a video. We cannot even fathom half the atrocities being inflicted on the animal behind the scenes.

In a recent similar event, The Missouri Dept. of Conservation (MDC) responded to an odd report — a deer with a collar around its neck and the word “pet” painted on its body obtained by People. On Facebook, The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office shared a picture showing the creature. The officers were soon on their feet, heading to  De Soto, a rural city in Missouri, to investigate the matter.

People reported analyzing the picture, ‘the deer looks back at the camera as it grazes on grass. A multi-colored collar can be seen around the animal’s neck, and the word “pet” appears in all capital letters on the deer’s body.’ Per the Bellville News-Democrat via People,  MDC Conservation Captain Scott Corley told McClatchy News, “Somebody most likely took that deer out of the wild as a fawn and tried to keep it as a pet and put a collar on it.” People gathered information that the deer, which was projected to be 2 years of age, had left the scene once the MDC reached the location to investigate the animal upon the distressed call of a landowner.

People reported Corley’s statement on why MDC does not support trying to domesticate a wild deer, “We’re concerned with the health of the deer,” adding, “And nowadays, since we have issues with chronic wasting disease and other disease issues, [interaction] is not safe for humans, and it’s not in the best interest of the animal’s welfare.”

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reflected its strict warning on its Facebook page, saying, “Wild animals should not be considered pets, and particularly deer should not be moved from their habitat as the (MDC) works on Chronic Wasting Disease.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Chronic wasting disease is a prion disease — a rare progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer, and moose. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office also reported that ‘orphaned wildlife’ should be immediately reported to the local MDC office or a conservation agent.

People also report that Corley said the photo of the deer also worried officials because docile deer can turn aggressive during mating season. “When they took him out of the wild his first year … he didn’t have all those hormones running through him,” he reportedly said. “Now he can be aggressive, and it can cause problems,” Corley added to it, noting that if MDC agents capture the deer, they will do the right thing by removing the collar and leaving him in the wild. Corley also stated, “Corley said the photo of the deer also worried officials because docile deer can turn aggressive during mating season.”

Awareness campaigns and strict protocols should be implemented in transitional areas where the land between man and the wild overstep each other.

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