GARDINER - Picture this: You’re out for a walk with your dogs and see a deer. You don’t think much of it until you turn your back and the doe attacks.
That is exactly what happened to one Gardiner woman named Jackie. In a video sent to us by another Gardiner residnet, Brandi Nichols, you can see Jackie walking her two dogs around the block when she passes a deer.
Not giving the doe much thought, she keeps walking until the sound of hooves rushes up behind her, attacking her dog, Gabe.
Curious about the wild side of nature in Gardiner? Click to watch the video and see how a routine walk turned into a startling experience
Gabe is alright, and an official at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks described the incident as "normal defensive behavior.”
“We see this occasionally with moose, especially. When someone’s too close, they’ll respond defensively. It’s a little less common with deer, but I’d say this behavior is still normal defensive behavior,” said Morgan Jacobsen with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
FWP says this isn’t completely unusual, and the attack made even more sense after a second video revealed this doe was protecting her newborn fawn.
“This time of year is when a lot of wildlife are rearing their young. So you know mothers can be very protective,” said Jacobsen.
Jackie happened to walk a little too close to the fawn, which was reportedly born just hours before the attack. Jackie said that the doe even had another baby after this attack, making this fawn an older twin.
FWP provides advise if you find yourself in a situation like this:
“When we talk about bear safety, we say don’t run from bears, right? With these species, it’s okay to put some distance between you and the animal. Give them space, and that’s going to increase your safety. But it’s also going to reduce conflict and stress for that wildlife,” said Jacobsen.
