WOODLAND PARK — Colorado Parks and Wildlife has launched an investigation after a deer followed a Woodland Park woman into her home and attacked her.
CPW said the 77-year-old woman suffered scratches, cuts, and bruises in the attack.
The agency said they believe the deer was being fed illegally by neighbors and had lost any fear of humans.
According to CPW, the woman was bringing groceries inside Tuesday when the deer followed her inside through a propped open door. The woman said the mature doe actually seemed comfortable inside the home and even began eating food in her kitchen.
The woman told CPW that she threw things at the deer's feet but it had no effect on the animal. She briefly turned around and the deer reared back and attacked.
CPW said the woman was able to stay on her feet and force the deer out of the door, but then it ran back inside when she went to remove the prop that was holding the door open. She then grabbed a mop and was able to force the deer back out the door.
By the time a CPW officer got to the scene, the deer was gone. The victim told the officer the deer would return in the morning because the neighbors feed it.
The agency said when the wildlife officer returned in the morning, the deer was there.
The victim positively identified the deer and the officer humanely euthanized it.
CPW said the deer's body was sent to a lab for a necropsy and the incident is still under investigation.
“This is another dangerous example of what happens when people feed wildlife,” said Cody Wigner, CPW assistant area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region. “They become habituated to people, lose their fear and become aggressive and dangerous.
In 2020 there were two deer attacks in the Pikes Peak Region and another in 2017.
“We had a woman in Black Forest attacked in November and a young boy attacked in Colorado Springs in June. And we had a 72-year-old woman attacked and seriously injured in Black Forest in 2017. All three of them, and this lady in Woodland Park, are lucky the results weren’t much worse," Wigner said.
