Deer put down after serious injuries due to being struck by a vehicle in Penticton

Photo: File photo

A mule deer similar to this one was euthanized humanely in Penticton Wednesday morning. 

Pentictonites may have heard a gunshot go off as RCMP responded to a deer hit by a vehicle near Eckhardt Avenue on Wednesday morning. 

Officers came to the call at 1050 Eckhardt Avenue West, and it subsequently was decided that "the deer had to be put down, as it couldn't walk,” according to Cst. James Grandy. 

Dave Cox, a conservation officer with BCCOS out of Penticton added that this is the proper response when it comes to an animal that can no longer move. 

“A wild animal that been struck by a motor vehicle or whatever the injury is, becoming immobile, it's at that threshold where we want to humanely put it down as timely as possible to prevent it from suffering.” 

The BC Conservation officers were not contacted for this incident, as RCMP officers will often get a call first.  

“They kind of direct them towards us or in some circumstances if we're not available, RCMP members are always there to help us out,” Cox said. 

“The amount of urban deer populations throughout our communities, we do have a lot of injured or limping animals as a result of motor vehicles and other mishaps, but we don't always respond to animals that are limping or even have small breaks in the leg to that are still mobile and still feeding, really not suffering.”

Officers will continue to monitor deer that are injured to make sure they heal and don't need intervention.

“We can keep tabs on things and see how they're progressing.”

The BCCOS reporting line is 24 hours, seven days a week to report deer or other animals in distress by calling 1-877-952-7277.