Stories1 min(s) read
Published 19:29 19 Dec 2020 GMT
A town has been left devastated after a beloved deer that visits them every Christmas has returned with an arrow through its head.
Deer are abundant in Kenora, Ontario, Outdoorcanada.ca reports, and one, in particular, had become a favorite among locals because of how friendly it is. They had even affectionately called the deer Carrot.
Lee-Anne Carver said that for the past three years, the buck has been visiting her home.
Watch the heartbreaking moment Carrot visited his friends with the arrow in his head below:
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In an interview with CBC, she said: "He was exceptional, and he continues to come back.
"Carrot's personality is so unique, he's impossible to misidentify."
However, on Wednesday (December 9) she got an unpleasant shock when her husband told her that the deer had an arrow through its head, coming into their home crying.
She said: "I barely understood what he was saying. I went out to see Carrot and I was completely disturbed when I saw him.
"My understanding from the hunters who have been writing me, it's a carbon arrow, a lethal arrow for hunting. It would come out of a crossbow."
Carver said that because of the positioning of the arrow, it must have been shot from above Carrot.
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Carver said that the best thing to do in this difficult situation may be to leave the arrow where it is.
She said: "The consensus is the bolt in the head, as disturbing as it is, may actually be preserving his life at this point.
"It appears to have cauterized the wound, sealed the arteries. Removal could cause severe infection or death from the bleeding.
"We all have a natural inclination to take it out, but that's not necessarily the best medicine.
"If that wound heals as we suspect, and his antlers drop, that arrow should slide out easily."
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However, while leaving the arrow where it is might have seemed like the best course of action, a post on Carrot the Magic Deer's Facebook page has revealed that things have now taken a turn for the worst for the animal.
The post reads: "I received a message that Carrot had been darted again and the bolt was removed. It wasn't anything I expected so I ran out the door with no socks, wet hair, and my husband in search for Carrot.
"We found him in a backyard with the MNR [Ministry of Natural Resources] trying desperately to revive him. They decided to dart him again and remove the bolt. It pulled out relatively easy.
"He was injected with antibiotics and his ears were tagged. (The MNR does not want the public to eat this deer as he is full of chemicals). However, those tags will serve to make him recognizable and protect him if he makes it through this ordeal.
"As mentioned yesterday, capture myopathy is lethal for deer. They don't respond well to tranquilizers and stress. I am not going to describe how Carrot was handled in order to try to stimulate him. It may be disturbing for some but I will say for 6 hours, he didn't get up.
"It actually got so bad that my husband Alex said his goodbyes and I removed him from the scene to secure his own suffering."
The post continues: "The next couple of days are vital to Carrot. Again, capture myopathy is a real peril. Deer can die suddenly a day later even though they've stood for a day. Please keep your lovelight on."
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The latest post on the Facebook page states that, at the time of writing, Carrot is still alive.
We'd like to take this opportunity to wish him all the best. Hopefully, he is able to make a full recovery.
