Buck tangled in rope had large metal bars stuck in its antlers, Utah video shows

Rope and reinforcement bars were stuck in a buck’s antlers until Utah wildlife officials stepped in to help.

The buck’s antlers were tangled in rope and two large rebars were stuck in the rope, video and photos posted by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources shows.

“We’re thankful our biologists removed the rope and rebar from the antlers of a buck in Provo recently,” the division said Wednesday. “We were able to tranquilize him, administer a reversal drug & make sure he recovered before release.”

Ropes, twine, Christmas lights and nets can all get tangled in a buck’s antlers, wildlife officials said. Their antlers are larger and can get tangled in items when the bucks try to get food or water, McClatchy News reported.

Earlier this month, a buck was tangled in electrical wires for weeks in California, according to McClatchy News. The buck’s antlers had to be removed.

“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,” California Department of 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.”

In Colorado, a buck was completely tangled in the netting of a soccer goal until wildlife officials cut it loose, McClatchy News reported.

“It ripped down the steel goal posts and dragged it until Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers subdued it with a Taser and cut it free in a 10-minute ordeal,” officials said on Twitter. “Again we ask: Take down sports nets!”

This story was originally published November 27, 2020 at 7:01 PM with the headline "Buck tangled in rope had large metal bars stuck in its antlers, Utah video shows."