Officials Tuesday conducted an operation in Hollywood to save a deer that appears to have a bone stuck in its mouth and throat.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife closed and locked the popular entrance to Lake Hollywood as they looked for the injured deer Tuesday.
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“She has what looks to be a femur bone, lodged in her mouth and her throat,” Kevin Howells, a biologist with the state agency, said.
People who live nearby alerted officials with the Department of Fish and Wildlife after the video clip of the deer began circulation on social media.
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The doe appears to be part of a small herd made up of seven of eight deer that live in the lake area.
“I saw her briefly yesterday afternoon. But she went down-slope toward the water, and I didn’t have a chance to immobilize her,” Howells explained.
Officials planned to immobilize the doe with a tranquilizer dart then remove the bone and give her whatever medical treatment she needs before releasing her.
They hoped to catch her quickly as the deer may have trouble eating.
“She’s not quite emaciated yet, but she’s on her way,” Howells explained. “She’s obviously, I believe, incapable of getting water and of browsing as well.”
Browsing is how deer eat, plucking leaves or shoots for food, according to Howells.
If the bone is not removed, the doe is likely to die. And she’s susceptible to infection and predators .
The mystery part is how it happened in the first place as deer typically eat berries, nuts and twigs.
“Deer do chew on bones to get nutrients they’re lacking in their diet, so that’s a possibility,” Howells said. The doe must be in pain as it appears to be uncomfortable, he continued.
