Not the normal attire for a deer, but maybe this one’s got a job on a construction crew. Photo: Andrea Arnold//The Rocky Mountain Goat//YouTube//Screenshot
McBride is a tiny, close-knit community of about 600 people. Nestled in British Columbia’s Robson Valley, it’s a beautiful place, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and Cariboo range. And it’s shared by plenty of animals. Animals like deer. But deer don’t generally wear high-vis clothing, which is why one particular deer has caught the attention of McBride residents.
Andrea Arnold, a reporter for Rocky Mountain Goat newspaper, was in her car on Sunday when the vehicle ahead slowed almost to a stop.
“The vehicle in front of me had slowed right down, which is not abnormal because there are deer that cross the highway,” she told the CBC. “But this one was wearing a high-vis jacket.”
The well-dressed deer was heading into a residential area when Arnold lost it. She did, however, manage to get photos of it, which showed that not only were her eyes not deceiving her, but the deers legs were through the sleeves and the high-vis was zipped up.
“I was like, ‘What? Like … what?'” she continued.
Soon after, the owner of a towing business caught sight of the deer, as well. “It’s zipped right up,” he explained to the CBC “Someone obviously had to tackle this thing and put the jacket on it. At first I thought maybe it got tangled up in it, but on second glance, that’s not the case.”
McBride residents, like in many smaller communities in B.C., are used to wildlife. Deer are common there, but so far no one has come forward with an admission of playing dress up with the animals.
According to reports, the deer doesn’t seem to be all that bothered and is still able to function as a deer ought to function, but it’s probably not the best thing for the deer to be wearing.
Eamon McArthur of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service told CBC News that there are no plans to catch the deer and remove the coat, but they’re hoping that the jacket will snag on something and the deer will be able to tear it off. He also went on to give a fairly obvious warning not to put clothing on the deer.
“I didn’t think I’d have to specify that one,” he said.
