Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials were tipped off about the deer a few weeks ago by someone who saw it at the house. The deer's caretakers have raised the 5-year-old animal since birth and want to keep it, but in Michigan, it's illegal to own wildlife without a permit. Officials say a deer in a human home poses safety risks.
The DNR recently contacted zoo officials, who said they would take the deer as long as it passed health screenings. DNR spokeswoman Sarah Lapshan said the agency told an attorney for the deer's caretakers about the zoo option Friday and are waiting to hear back.
The whitetail deer, nicknamed "Lilly" and seen in online videos sitting on a couch, might take some time to acclimate but would likely fit in well with the zoo's existing populations of fallow or white-lipped deer, said Scott Carter, chief life sciences officer at the zoo.
"No matter how animals like this were raised, she's not a dog, she's not a cat, she's not a domestic animal," he said. "She's still a wild deer."
The deer's caretakers have not been named publicly. They have said they rescued the deer after its mother was struck and killed by a car and gave birth as she lay dying, according to Lapshan.
In the wake of recent media attention, people have started online petitions in support of allowing Lilly to stay at home. A "Save Lilly the Deer" Facebook page had more than 3,700 "likes" Friday night.
Lt. David Malloch, district supervisor of the DNR's Law Enforcement Division for southeast Michigan, said even though the deer has been living with humans for five years, it could still revert to its wild natural instincts. Deer carry a variety of diseases and have sharp hooves that could seriously injure a person, he said.
(USA Today - June 8, 2013)
