Bottle-fed fawn bucks up wildfire crews on ferry ride

A popular young deerknown for hanging out with humanshas followed evacuees escaping B.C.'s wildfires by hitching a ferry ride across FrancoisLake.

Earlier this week, the buck was spotted nuzzling up to a group of firefighters on the ferry from the area known as Southside, as people forced from their homes made their waytoward Burns Lake and it'snot the first time the fawn hasbeen a passenger.

"This deer is like a dog it comes up to you and I can pat it on the back, it licks my hand.It's just the friendliest deer going," said Grant Borden, a Southside resident who comes across the deer about once a week.

Named "Elliot" byBorden and his family, the young buckwas orphaned and raised by hand by someone in the neighbourhood, he said.

"For him to be so friendly, it's kind of bizarre and a little unnerving at first," Borden said.

"He was bottle fed so he does know humans [when] he's nuzzling up to us like a dog would, he's doing it to be affectionate, I guess."

However, Angelika Langen from the Smithers Wildlife Shelterrecommended not feeding wildlife.

Mother deer will often leave their fawns alone for extended lengths of time so it's best not to interfere and habituate them to humans, she said.

Leaving 'Elliot' behind

Borden last saw Elliot whenhe was packing up his things to leave after the area was put under an evacuation order.

"He was in the garage with me and we were trying to get him out," Borden said.

"He's turning around looking at me, as if to say, 'Well, you're not leaving without me are you?'"

Kevin Nixon, a B.C. Conservation Officer Service, said the deer has been spotted riding the ferry back and forth since the initial ride.

"I don't know if it's a daily occurrence that this thing goes for a boat ride or what it is," he said.

He said the deer isn't in danger on either side of the lake from the fires.

"The wildfires, if you go across on the Southside right now, you don't encounter any signs of fire for about 15 or 20 kilometres up the road."

He reminded the public that the deer is still a wild animal, despite being tame, and said to give it space.

With files from Daybreak North and Andrew Kurjata

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