Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials say a mother mule deer will be killed after it attacked and seriously injured an 85-year-old woman. Officials responded at about 4:30 pm Wednesday to a mule deer doe with two fawns that allegedly attacked and injured the woman as she walked her dog within city limits near Sunset Meadows, reports the Craig Press.
Officers believe the woman and her dog surprised the animal, leading to an unusually aggressive response by the doe. Doe attacks are rare but wildlife officers say they can happen and they can be serious, especially when the animal is rearing her young.
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CPW officers located and captured the doe and her fawns later that evening.
“In accordance with agency policy and due to the doe’s extremely aggressive behavior, CPW will put the animal down to protect public safety. The fawns will be taken to a local rehabilitation facility,” the release read. “The doe’s carcass will be taken to CPW’s Wildlife Health Lab for a full necropsy.”
Mike Porras, public information officer for CPW’s northwest region, said that while mule deer are often docile around humans, it’s never a guarantee, much less when fawns are involved.
