A man walking his dog in Fernwood has recently reported being chased by an aggressive mother deer.
On Tuesday, a Victoria Reddit user with the handle u/essjuango took to the website to warn locals of aggressive deer in the Fernwood area.
See also: Oak Bay resident attacked by a herd of deer
The redditor was walking his dog at Stadacona Park when they ran into a mother deer and her fawn. According to his post, the animals charged at them, forcing them to retreat back to the gate.
“After a few minutes we came back out and started walking down the street; Momma saw us from two blocks away and sprinted the length of Stanley [Ave], following us at full gallop onto Fort, even across the street,” he writes.
Past incidents
Deer are believed to be more protective when they’re around their young, which has led to attacks on the island in the past.
Last year, an Oak Bay woman was chased and then stomped on by a herd of deer in her backyard after trying to open her gate to let them out.
In the aftermath of this incident, Oak Bay Police department issued an advisory warning citizens to be more vigilant around suburban wildlife.
See also: This is why you should stay away from those adorable baby deer
The overpopulation of deer in Oak Bay has also led to the proposal of implementing birth control for the animals, with hopes that it will lower the number of incidents between humans and the startled bucks and does.
The usually docile creatures have had a slight uptake of incidents in suburban areas over the past couple of years, and with urban development on the rise, stories of incidents involving wildlife are becoming more common.
Conservation Officers advise keeping your distance from deer and their young as the protective parents may not be able to tell the difference between admirer and adversary.
