Carrot the Magic Deer

Here’s a true life Christmas story ….

“When Carrot first wandered onto Lee-Anne Carver’s lawn (in Ontario, Canada) as a fawn a few years ago, she knew there was something different about the deer.

It was gentle, affectionate and even endeared itself to Carver’s golden retriever.

But now something else is making Carrot stand out from the herd: a bright green crossbow bolt through the back of its head.

Last week, when Carrot came to their property in Kenora, Ont., Carver’s husband saw the bolt first and rushed inside in tears to tell his wife.

Surprisingly, the deer seemed unchanged from the animal they’d come to know over the years. There was no blood and the bolt appeared to have missed any vital arteries or organs. “He’s still completely affectionate, and forgiving — that big personality that he has that is so trusting,” said Carver.

Still, they called 911 and a representative from the Ministry of Natural Resources, and were assured the animal won’t be euthanized, since it appears to be behaving normally.

The removal of an object such as a crossbow bolt from a wild animal is a complicated process, according to wildlife biologist Nathalie Karvonen. As the Executive Director at the Toronto Wildlife Centre, her team has admitted many animals over the years with arrows through their bodies, but never a deer. The removal would be done after the animal is “chemically immobilized” with a tranquilizer and moved to a surgical space. The procedure would be done with the animal under anesthesia. “

‘Carrot the magic deer’ unfazed by crossbow bolt through head. Jonathan Forani CTVNews.ca
Published Tuesday, December 15, 2020

On December 17, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) said Carrot was tranquilized and the arrow successfully removed. The animal was released into the wild with tons of hope and well wishes for is survival.

On Monday, December 21 Lee Anne Carver was happy to report that she’d found Carrot alive and well. Here’s the video of their reunion.

Isn’t that a lovely story for the holidays 🙂 Have a good one folks !

From Kenora in Northern Ontario, Canada. December 2020