This past week, residents from Rocky Point were freaking out over a strange animal walking around the neighborhood.
Only — it wasn’t a strange animal.
It was actually a deer who had gotten her head stuck in a huge plastic container, making it difficult for her to both eat or drink.
The orange-tinted jar the deer had gotten her head stuck in was also impairing the deer’s vision and the as days rolled on with the container on her head — the dear continued to weaken.
People spotted her around town and the local community attempted to look for her in their yards but were unable to track down the animal before she disappeared.
Sharing her photo on social media, the Strong Island Animal Rescue League posted to Facebook in hopes someone could help her if she so happened to greet a neighbor’s yard.
The group knew that they were racing against the clock to save the deer as she was both hungry, thirsty and disoriented.
Thankfully, the post was successful — and after five days, the doe fell down into a pile of leaves in someone’s backyard.
The homeowner recognized the doe and contacted the rescue team immediately.
Despite the deer looking exhausted, she continued to run away as rescuers attempted to capture her with a catch pole.
Frankie Floridia, the rescue president, wrapped his arms around the doe and placed her back on the ground.
He was able to very nimbly pull the container off the animals head before she made a break for it.
“I knew that this was already day five, and another day would be the difference between life or death,” Floridia shared with The Dodo. “It was a decision I had to make in the moment, and it paid off.”
Thanks to Floridia’s actions — the doe was finally free at last from the container and is expected to be completely fine in the wild, now that she is able to get the nourishment she needs.
But Floridia is suffering from a split lip as well as a scraped knee from the incident.
He admits despite it all, it was worth it.
“Five days was a long time, and I was getting really nervous for her,” Floridia said. “I think the cold weather is what helped her stay alive, because if this was a hot and muggy summer day, the jar would’ve made it much harder for her to breathe. It rained afterward, so she definitely found water and I’m sure now she’s catching up on the Thanksgiving meal she had missed.”
Thankfully, the doe was saved but unfortunately, there are plenty of animals who continue to get trapped in the garbage and are unable to receive help before it’s too late.
Litter, as well as discarded jars or cans, can be deadly for animals who are looking for food.
But thankfully, there is a solution to the issue at hand.
“When recycling, put the lid on all containers,” Floridia advised. “Wash the jars out so there’s no food smells, and crush the containers so no one can get their heads stuck inside. Animals’ lives depend on it.”
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