Article content

A B.C. deer famous for playing with preschoolers and nuzzling vacationers was killed by conservation officers this week because it was deemed to be too friendly.

“The deer was hand-raised and very habituated to humans, which made it a high risk for unpredictable behaviour,” read a statement by the B.C. Ministry of Environment, adding that “the deer’s behaviour was escalating due to the arrival of the breeding season.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Friendly buck 'John Deer' has been euthanized in B.C. for being too familiar with humans Back to video

I just don’t understand this mentality

Earlier this week, the animal was “humanely euthanized” near Vernon, B.C.

The two-point buck, which some had dubbed “John Deer,” was recently featured in an August YouTube video nuzzling against a boy on a North Okanagan beach.

Provincial wildlife veterinarian Helen Schwantje says the docile deer was believed to be the same one that tangled its antlers in a child’s backpack as it tried to play with youngsters in a school playground during the first week of classes.

“I don’t think the deer needed to be euthanized … I just think it’s a tragedy,” said Liz White, a member of the Animal Alliance of Canada and a vocal opponent of a spate of recent B.C. deer culls.