Wildlife officials in Ohio are rushing to save a wild deer spotted in a dangerous predicament.
Officials with the Ohio Division of Wildlife told WJW-TV they are working to help a deer seen roaming around the Summit County area with what appears to be a purple “translucent” bucket stuck over its head.
In a statement to PEOPLE, the agency’s spokesperson, Monika Bowman, shared that the Ohio Division of Wildlife has made “multiple attempts” to free the animals. None have been successful so far. Wildlife officers and veterinarians need to tranquilize the deer to remove the bucket safely, but the task has proven difficult.
“This particular bucket is translucent, so the deer can see our approaches, and so far, we have not been successful. Every attempt to track and remove it puts stress on the animal and needs to be done with extreme care and knowledge of deer behavior and anatomy,” Bowman shared in her statement.
Bowman added that the agency is planning more attempts to help the animal but isn’t rushing into any rescue missions.
“These animals can and do die from excess stress. The less stressed this animal is, the better. Division of Wildlife is monitoring the deer and will make further attempts for the animal’s welfare,” the spokesperson said.
Because a less experienced animal lover trying to do good could stress the wild deer, the Ohio Division of Wildlife warned locals not to approach or try to free the deer.
“It is of utmost importance that the public does not try to approach this deer to remove the bucket or get close for any other reason. This will cause undue stress and make our approaches more difficult, not to mention these animals are still wild and can be dangerous, especially when they feel threatened,” Bowman explained in her statement.
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According to WJW-TV, similar situations with animals getting their heads stuck in items — particularly plastic containers — have occurred in the area. The outlet noted that a deer previously got its head trapped in a Halloween bucket in Mentor, Ohio, and a deer in Indiana also got its head stuck in a plastic container before being freed two weeks later.
Bowman noted that people can help prevent incidents like this from happening by properly disposing of their trash and washing out containers that may contain food particles.
“Buckets, especially ones with handles or smaller openings than bases, like pumpkins around Halloween, easily trap onto animals’ heads as they forage and can’t be removed by the animals. Do not leave these buckets outdoors as decorations and snip the handles off before disposing of them,” she added.
The National Wildlife Federation Blog recommends that people avoid littering, “store garbage and recycling in wildlife-proof containers,” and “clean out recyclables.” It also recommends checking with the local waste management service to see if they can keep “lids on containers and/or crush recyclables.”
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