A young mule deer buck approached a group of people hanging out on a basketball court at Rio Grande Park in Aspen, Colorado, on Friday and suddenly went on the attack, targeting an unidentified woman.
The woman was backing away to give the deer space when it attacked, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The woman, who shielded her face, sustained minor injuries to her arms but refused medical treatment.
Wildlife officers began investigating the incident about an hour after the encounter.
“After interviewing the victim and several witnesses, officers determined the victim did nothing wrong and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” CPW stated.
“According to witnesses, the deer had approached the group before the attack, which suggested that it had become habituated to human presence and lacked the natural fear that wildlife should have towards humans.”
Wildlife officers managed to locate the deer and witnessed the same lack of fear to humans as described by the witnesses, prompting them to capture and euthanize the deer in the interest of public health and safety.
More from the CPW:
Deer attacks are rare but can happen, resulting in serious injuries. This incident serves as an important reminder that wild animals should always be treated as such. While it is common for deer and other wildlife to live inside town limits, CPW reminds everyone to give wildlife space, and feeding wildlife is illegal, no matter where they are.
