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'Downtown Deer' petting video concerns city officials

By Ben Hooper
Vancouver's "Downtown Deer" licks the hand of a Stanley Park visitor. Wrax Artilles/YouTube video screenshot
Vancouver's "Downtown Deer" licks the hand of a Stanley Park visitor. Wrax Artilles/YouTube video screenshot

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Parks officials in Vancouver, British Columbia, said they are concerned about a fresh video of the city's "Downtown Deer" approaching humans and licking their hands.

A video posted to YouTube Sunday shows a woman petting a young buck in Stanley Park and allowing it to lick her hands while she and the man filming remark on how tame the animal appears to be.

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The deer is believed to be the same animal seen allowing two men to pet him in a video posted to YouTube two weeks earlier.

The buck was dubbed the "Downtown Deer" after he was first seen wandering the center of the city in July.

Vancouver Park Board biologist Nick Page criticized the humans in the latest YouTube video for petting the wild animal.

"It's just inappropriate behavior," Page told Global News. "It's a wild animal. The concern is the well-being of the deer. I don't think there's any risk to humans interacting with the deer. It's not going to bite them or something like that."

Page told Metro News he does not believe the humans committed any crimes.

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"I wouldn't characterize it as harassment of wildlife; the deer is quite tolerant of people," he said. "But I would always urge people to stay away from any wildlife, whether it's squirrels or raccoons or deer." He said the deer's socialization could cause problems for it in the future.

"Our concern is it's going to become more and more accustomed to people. It's going to start moving out of the more natural areas of Stanley Park -- maybe into the edge of the West End -- and then it's going to more susceptible to being attacked by dogs. Probably the big risk is being hit by a car on the road."

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