MIDLAND PARK, New Jersey (WABC) — Residents in Midland Park, New Jersey are rallying to help a deer that has become a local celebrity after being spotted with netting and a pole tangled in its antlers.
People in several neighborhoods have captured photos and video of the deer, which has been seen moving through wooded areas with the debris attached to its head. Community members have been contacting authorities in hopes of getting the animal assistance.
“There’s a pathway that they cut through, but because he has the pole, you can hear the ‘clank, clank, clank,’ on the trees,” said Midland Park resident Gwen Gawricki.
Residents have called animal control, fish and wildlife officials and police. According to the township, animal control reportedly needs the deer to be in a contained area in order to help. The challenge is that the deer does not remain in one location for long.
With numerous wooded areas throughout the town, residents tracking the animal’s movements say they hope others will watch for the buck and report sightings.
Those efforts could prove important as the local state game warden continues receiving calls about the deer. Officials say information about where the animal is spending time could help them locate it and remove the netting and pole from its antlers.
The extent to which the entanglement may be affecting the deer’s ability to feed or rest is unclear.
“Someone had shared a picture that he was laying down flat. You can see it’s wrapped tight around his antler,” Gawricki said.
Authorities are taking all reports seriously as they work to locate the deer and free it from the debris attached to its antlers.
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