A deer broke through a window in the West Institute Building Monday, Dec. 10.
Apart from a bloody nose, the deer was not injured. Beyond the window, there was no significant property damage.
U Police Sgt. Don Bird responded to a call from employees in the building at about 8 a.m.
“He was in there standing in the lobby,” Bird said. “He probably got spooked. [Deer] don’t know what windows are. He didn’t realize the window was there and just ran through.”
U police contacted state wildlife officials, which came prepared to treat an injured animal. Wildlife personnel did not bring a tranquilizer gun and had to return to their office to get one.
“The deer got tired of standing there and laid down,” Bird said.
Two hours transpired before they put the deer down with two tranquilizer darts. After tranquilizing the animal, they packed it onto the trailer and took it back to the wilderness.
“They said he was wandering off, so hopefully he’s OK,” Bird said.
This was not the first time Bird has seen something like this. When University Hospital still had automatic sliding doors, a doe once walked through the main entrance and into the lobby.
As snowfall increases, more deer come out of the mountains, Bird said. In the ’80s, three or four deer were hit by cars per day.
“Traffic and wildlife don’t mix at all,” Bird said.