B.C. conservation officers are asking people to consider fencing without sharp points after instances of deers becoming impaled.
A deer pierced itself and had to be euthanized Tuesday in Nanaimo.
Sgt. Stuart Bates, with B.C. Conservation Officer Service, said the incident took place in the Northfield Road area, where a deer tried to jump a fence and “didn’t quite make it.” It impaled itself, suffered organ damage and had to be put down. In situations like this, deer can suffer fatal injuries as they try to free themselves, the conservation officer service said.
“It was impaled and basically eviscerated itself,” said Bates. “Gruesome is about what describes it best. I had one earlier in the year, same thing, in the Stephenson Point area.”
Wrought iron fences are commonly seen as causing injuries to deer, but railing patterns, especially those with pointed pickets rising above the top rail, are more likely to hurt animals, according to a social media post. Bates recommends design modifications.
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“If you’re thinking about building a fence, don’t build one with spikes on the top,” said Bates. “If you have one with spikes, maybe think about having somebody come and weld a top to it.”
Bates said he has seen approximately three or four such incidents in the past year.
“We get some where they get stuck in the fence too,” said Bates. “Where they try to walk through it. It works great for the fawns, but then the fawns don’t realize they get bigger and they can slip their front through, but their pelvis won’t pass. Those ones we can actually get out pretty quick if people call us. If they’re small enough, we don’t even have to drug them. We just grab them and push them backwards.”
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