The Canadian winter can be difficult for deer as temperatures plummet and food becomes scarce. But Carrot, a white-tailed goat who lives in northern Ontario, faces an extra challenge: he has an arrow sticking out of his head.
“It was really hard to see,” said Lee-Anne Carver, a wildlife photographer in the town of Kenora, who named the young animal. “I’ve been photographing animals for years and there is something special about Carrot. He’s unlike any deer I’ve ever met. “
Now Carver tries to share Carrot’s plight with as many people as possible, hoping to save the injured deer.
For three years now, Carrot, an orphaned fawn, has been visiting Carver and her husband in their backyard. “He’s very gentle and affectionate,” said Carver.
But last week, Carver’s husband saw that the deer had been injured. As she went into the snowy yard to investigate, she saw a black arrow with bright green fletching impaled in Root’s head.
Despite the shocking injury, the deer seemed unfazed. When he walked over to Carver to sniff her hand, she saw no blood or signs of infection.
“It was very disturbing to watch,” said Carver. “But he was still acting like his normal self.”
Local officials have promised Carver they will not euthanize the injured deer, but a conservation officer and hunters have advised against any attempt to remove the bolt. Since the arrow is likely to prevent bleeding, extracting it could reopen the wound in his head and cause an infection.
‘It’s really disturbing. I want to reach out and grab it and say, “That’s where I fixed you, Carrot.” But that is not possible. “
Four years ago, the city of Kenora passed an ordinance that allowed residents to shoot deer with bows within the city limits.
Because there is no veterinarian in the area capable of treating large mammals, Wortel’s supporters have few options. Carver hopes that after his antlers fall off and the wound has healed completely, the arrow shaft can be easily pulled out.
Carver has started a Facebook page, Carrot the Magic Deer, and has received messages from supporters around the world.
“The internet is a place where everyone wants to discuss something. But Carrot seems to unite people, ”said Carver. “It’s been so overwhelming, so see all this compassion, which is sorely lacking in the world right now. There is so much suffering in the world today – and Wortel’s too – but he has become greater than that. He has now given us something to focus on and something to love. And that means a lot. “