And you thought Bambi was sad! Friendly deer called Bucky is EUTHANIZED by Kansas wildlife officials after becoming too tame
- Bucky the deer won the hearts of Hutchinson residents, but was sadly euthanized after officials decided the animal had become too tame
- However, on Tuesday, Parks and Wildlife officials were called to the scene due to an active public safety issue involving Bucky
- A game warden caught Bucky and took him to a private ranch where he was 'humanely euthanized'
A friendly deer that captured the hearts of Hutchinson residents was sadly euthanized after officials decided the animal had become too tame.
Bucky the deer was a regular and welcome visitor in neighborhoods on the city's northeast side, where residents even petted the wild animal.
However, on Tuesday, Wildlife and Parks officials were called to the scene due to an active public safety issue involving Bucky.
“Frankly, a line was crossed to the detriment of the species,” Nadia Marji of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks told the outlet.
“It was well-intentioned by these people,” she added of the resident's care of Bucky.
Bucky the deer won the hearts of Hutchinson residents, but was sadly euthanized after officials decided the animal had become too tame
“All the kids in the neighborhood loved him,” Hutchinson resident Aaliyah Davis said
A game warden captured Bucky, took him to a private ranch and humanely euthanized the animal.
“All the kids in the neighborhood loved him,” heartbroken Hutchinson resident Aaliyah Davis told KSN News.
“They loved seeing him, they thought of him as one of Santa's reindeer.
'He was the cutest thing. He loved the children and when the children went they would pet him.”
Concerned residents had previously contacted the nearby Hutchinson Zoo to inquire about the possibility of Bucky moving to the facility.
However, the zoo was unable to house the deer as its tameness was considered a potential safety issue.
A game warden captured Bucky, took him to a private ranch and humanely euthanized the animal
“They don't always realize that they are deer, and we are people, and when it comes specifically to the rutting season for white-tailed deer, they may look to people as partners instead of deer,” said zoo director Nicole Mantz. .
Mantz also said Bucky's unknown health status was concerning because he may have had a chronic wasting disease, a risk for exposure to the rest of the zoo's animals.
“The rest of our animals are still exposed to the disease,” Mantz explained.
And he added: 'Not only would we have to cull the rest of our herd, but we could never have a member of the deer family on zoo grounds.'