It’s not unusual for police to get a call about a home invasion, but it’s a rare case when the suspect is Bambi.
But that was the scene Kamloops RCMP found themselves dealing with on Sunday night.
It happened around 10 p.m., when Todd Mason says he awoke to an “incredible ruckus” coming from the back hallway of his home on Pine Springs Road.
“There was a deer in our house,” Mason said, adding the young animal appeared to have squeezed its way through a dog door.
“I imagine it poked its head in the door and couldn’t get back out, or freaked its way through, or maybe a predator was after it. I really don’t know.”
Chaos ensued.
The deer grew increasingly panicked as it struggled to maintain its footing on hard wood flooring, he said.
It also reacted to anything reflective, including Mason’s TV, which he said the deer damaged in its terrified state.
“I was just trying to calm this thing down — I’ve never been trained on how to wrestle a deer,” he said.
“I tried to manhandle the deer once or twice. It was a bad idea. I don’t recommend that.”
Eventually, Mason got the frightened creature into the carpeted living room, where it could stand up straight and seemed to panic less.
After attempting to call the BC Conservation Officer Service, he was redirected to the RCMP which dispatched officers.
Kamloops RCMP says officers managed to put a blanket over the deer’s head, then pull it outside on a small rug.
Aside from cuts to its mouth sustained while squeezing through dog door, the animal appeared uninjured, police said.
“Wildlife inside a house can be extremely destructive,” said Const. Crystal Evelyn in a media release.
“In this case, police were able to safely help the deer out, preventing any further harm from occurring to the animal or the house.”
Mason said along with the TV, there was damage to the floors, a counter top and various knickknacks — along with a s
He’s been provisionally told insurance should cover the costs.
“No one got to sleep that night, of course,” he said.
“There’s a lot of questions being asked by friends, a lot of people saying, ‘Oh, why couldn’t you take care of a little deer yourself.’ Well, have you tried that?”
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