Colts Neck Deer With Bowl On His Head Now Roaming Free

COLTS NECK, NJ — Great news about the dramatic story of a young male buck found in a Colts Neck backyard over Easter weekend with a glass bowl stuck around his head.

The glass has been removed, the deer was tagged and is now roaming free, the Monmouth County SPCA happily reports.

The glass bowl was actually a light fixture, the SPCA said. The deer was first noticed by a homeowner in Colts Neck on Thursday; the animal probably got its head trapped while trying to drink water from the bowl.

Sadly, he had been ostracized from the herd and was all alone walking in the woods. Certain species will treat members as outcasts if they look different or are injured, so to not invite predators or disrupt the integrity of the herd, the SPCA said. Worse yet, he was also severely dehydrated as the bowl prevented him from eating or drinking anything for five days.

When SPCA agents found the deer, the was first sedated; the light fixture was removed. While sedated, he was also tagged and treated for minor wounds that he most likely obtained due to bumping into things because he couldn't see very well.

The rescue workers then left the scene, but then received a second call from the homeowner saying that the young buck had laid back down again, and had labored breathing.

With help from one of the shelter’s veteran veterinary technicians, Deann Bowen, the deer was given 600mls of fluids.

“We could tell he was completely dehydrated by the way he looked,” she said. "After we administered the fluids, his head perked right up, and after a few minutes his breathing returned to normal.”

The team then stepped back and waited as the deer slowly stood up and began to walk, which eventually turned into a trot — and then a full-speed dash, and leap over a fence into a wooded area.

The Colts Neck homeowner reports that he can no longer see a single deer feeding, so it is happily assumed that he has rejoined his herd. The team marked his back leg so that the homeowner could let them know when he returns to the area.

The Monmouth County SPCA encourages donations to their organization to allow them to be of assistance to all animals in their community. To make a donation, please visit their website at www.monmouthcountyspca.org or visit their donation page at https://bit.ly/2GsPmQF. You can also make a contribution over the phone by calling 732-440-1556.

Monmouth County SPCA provided all photos.