Buck needs antlers removed after it gets tangled in electrical wires, CA officials say

A buck tangled in electrical wires was wandering around a California town for weeks, wildlife officials said.

The deer was spotted in Glendale in Los Angeles County several times over the past few weeks, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday.

Cables and wires were wrapped around the buck’s antlers and its front hoof. Luckily, wildlife officials were able to sedate the deer long enough to remove its antlers. The buck was then released.

“CDFW wildlife officers were able to find the animal and sedate it long enough to assess the situation and help it,” Fish and Wildlife said. “The antlers had to be removed altogether, which is not an uncommon solution (antlers grow back quickly).”

Deer are regularly entangled in wires and netting during the fall months, Fish and Wildlife said. Their antlers are larger and can get tangled in items when the bucks try to get food or water.

“This particular snarl of cables and wires may have originated with a home improvement project or construction site where someone failed to dispose of their garbage properly,” Fish and Wildlife said. “If you’re working on a project outdoors, please do the nearby wildlife a favor – take the time to remove materials that could harm an animal.”

Wildlife officials in Colorado have also seen an increase in deer getting tangled in wires and netting, McClatchy News reported.

A buck was found trapped and tangled in the netting of a soccer goal last week, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

In October, another buck was found with netting around its face.

“Sure it’s tedious to take down sports nets after games and practices, hammocks too,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in October. “But consider this frantic buck thrashing and crashing into trees trying to get free only to get more hopelessly tangled in the net.”

This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Buck needs antlers removed after it gets tangled in electrical wires, CA officials say."