Baby deer on the loose in downtown Vancouver
Fawn headed for Stanley Park, said B.C. Conservation Officer Service
A young deer was spotted roaming downtown Vancouver Tuesday morning, sparking concern for the animal's safety — and, of course, a snarky Twitter account.
One of the first tweets to spread the news about the fawn was from Mary Pynenburg, who captured it on camera in the intersection of Granville and Nelson shortly before 9 a.m. PT.
Something you don't typically see in downtown <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vancouver?src=hash">#Vancouver</a> - a young deer on Granville Street <a href="http://t.co/OVwzEYSeCl">pic.twitter.com/OVwzEYSeCl</a>
—@WomanwhovotesFrom there, it was seen on Howe Street — the heart of the financial district — in Yaletown, wandering near pricey La Terrazza restaurant and crossing a bike lane in front of St. Paul's Hospital in the West End.
Oh deer! <a href="https://twitter.com/VancouverPD">@VancouverPD</a> Please tell me this little guy got a safe ride home this morning? <a href="http://t.co/jxdIqo6Cln">pic.twitter.com/jxdIqo6Cln</a>
—@karilyntwidaleThe Vancouver Park Board also posted a short video of the deer near English Bay.
Vancouver Police said they had several reports of deer sightings downtown.
"Please give the deer space," tweeted the Vancouver Police.
Headed for Stanley Park
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service said Tuesday afternoon it was "well aware" of the downtown deer and monitoring the situation.
"The last we heard, it went into Stanley Park, which is a good place for a deer to be," said conservation officer Cody Ambrose.
If it does return to busy city streets — "which isn't a great place" for a deer — conservation officers can take action to move the deer out, he said.
People who see the deer in the downtown core are asked to call the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.
It's not clear where the "downtown deer" came from, but Calvin Wang sent CBC News a video of a fawn swimming across Burrard Inlet to Stanley Park Monday afternoon which he believed was the same animal.
'I'm not Bambi'
Following in the paw-steps of the dead raccoon in Toronto last week and a bear that roamed downtown Vancouver in 2011, someone created a Twitter account with the fictional voice of the @DowntownDeer.
Stop taking photos and help me get back to the forest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vancouver?src=hash">#Vancouver</a>.
—@DowntownDeerMove over <a href="https://twitter.com/downtown_bear">@Downtown_Bear</a> i'm taking over this town. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vancouver?src=hash">#Vancouver</a>
—@DowntownDeer"I'm not Bambi, if you're looking for her, your best bet is the No. 5 Orange," states the twitter profile for @DowntownDeer, referencing a strip club in the Downtown Eastside.
It also posted a fake sighting of itself at City Hall with the demand that the mayor fast-track a designated deer lane.
Have you seen the deer? Send your pictures and videos to [email protected]