Pet deer seized on N.S. island

Wildlife officers in Nova Scotia have seized a deer that has beenillegally kept as a pet on Big Tancook Island.

The Department of Natural Resources was tipped off about the captive white-tailed deer. On Monday, officers travelled by boat and helicopter to raid the home.

Terry Beck, regional enforcement co-ordinator, said the doe was kept in a fenced area.

"We believe the deer was captive for some time. And I'm assuming the deer was probably a pet just like any other pet," he told CBC News on Wednesday.

Big Tancook is off Chester, on Nova Scotia's south shore. About 100 residents live on the island, along with a variety of wild animals from rabbits to white-tailed deer.

Beck said this doe was between two or three years old and in good health.

"There were numerous apple trees and whatnot on the property, so the deer was in really good health," he said.

The deer was tranquillized, flown off the island by helicopter and then driven to the Hope for Wildlife rehabilitation centre in Seaforth.

Hope Swinimer, the founder and director of Hope for Wildlife, said the centre is not used to looking after full-grown deer.

"We do hear stories where people have kept wildlife as pets but never have we experienced a full-grown deer," she told CBC News.

"Usually it's the case where they get a little fawn and then once it's old enough it becomes more and more wild and sort of works its way back into the wild. So this is a pretty unique case."

Beck said the investigation into this "very uncommon" case is ongoing and charges are possible.

"Wild animals are meant to be kept in the wild, not captive. Hopefully, this will serve a lesson to other people who try to or want to keep [wild] animals as pets," he said.

Officials hope to release the deer into the wild within a year.