A rare wildlife sighting in Canada has sparked accountability questions after a reflective jacket was found on a cervid, raising concerns for its safety and the intentions of those who may have put it there.
Risks and Precautions
If they eventually locate it and the animal appears in distress, McArthur says the team will remove the jacket. However, sedating an animal, especially deer, comes with its own risks, including a phenomenon known as capture myopathy, which can prove fatal.
Sedating an animal, especially deer, is not recommended due to the risk of capture myopathy, a condition that can be fatal.
The risks associated with sedating an animal include capture myopathy, which can lead to death.
Capture myopathy is a condition that occurs when an animal is stressed or frightened, causing its body to shut down.
Investigation and Response
Sgt Eamon McArthur of the BC conservation officer service was quoted in CTV News as saying he did not want to speculate on how the jacket ended up on the cervid.
He noted that deer are not predisposed to wearing clothes, and it is illegal to “worry, exhaust, fatigue, annoy, plague, pester, tease or torment” an animal under the province’s wildlife act.
Theories and Concerns
Most comments boiled down to three questions: “How did it get on the deer?” “Who is responsible?” And “Why would someone do it?”
The public has been unable to locate the deer despite its distinct appearance.
Conservation staff have appealed to the public for tips on how to locate the deer and remove the jacket if it appears in distress.
Reactions and Concerns
Some suggested that the reflective jacket might keep the deer safe along the highway, while others worried it could get snagged, possibly causing the animal to panic or injure itself.
The response was mixed, with some people expressing concern for the deer’s well-being and others wondering about the intentions behind putting a high-vis jacket on an animal.
