Posted on 06/04/2012 7:07:59 PM PDT by SJackson
WILMER, Alabama -- Kenneth Webster has what you would call a "unique" family pet. Her name is Bambi, and yes, she's a deer.
"I found her on the side of Highway 43 lying beside her mother," said Webster. The mother was killed by a car. "I thought she was dead too until I walked up to her and she picked her head up."
That was four years ago. Bambi's been part of the family ever since, living comfortably in their fenced-in yard in Wilmer.
"She gets 50 dollars a week worth of food, if not more," Webster said, describing the doe's diet of fresh fruit, grains, and water.
There's only one problem. Keeping wild animals as pets is illegal in Alabama.
"Somebody called and reported seeing her," said Webster.
Keith Gauldin, a Wildlife Biologist at the Alabama Department of Natural Resources enforced the law. He tranquilized Bambi, and they dropped her off at a sort of "deer sanctuary" fifty miles away on Mason Ferry Road.
"It's not really us being the bad guys," said Gauldin. "It was their mistake when they first captured the deer as a youngster, so he shouldn't have done that in the first place, and we wouldn't have had a problem."
Little did they know, Bambi was homeward bound. Kenneth Webster was at work at the time, when his neighbors called with the unbelievable news: Bambi was back at his front gate.
Neighbor Joey Hall spotted Bambi on their street.
"We got a little fence in our backyard, so we put it there," said Hall. "My dad went and called him, told him we had his deer."
Nearly two weeks later, the domesticated doe is back home in the Webster's yard. But her chances of staying there are slim.
"We have a regulation in place that prohibits that, that keeps the general public from keeping any species of wildlife in captivity, so, unfortunately the law is the law," said Gauldin.
"You can see the scratches on her from the travel," said Bambi's owner. "I don't know what all she went through, and only God knows what all she went through to make it back, but she made it back, so why not leave her alone?" said Webster.
Kenneth Webster says it's a miracle Bambi made it back alive. He worries she won't have the instincts to survive on her own.
Gauldin says they plan to enforce the law and confiscate Bambi once again. This time, they may take it someplace different.
News 5 will continue to follow this story and let you know if the State decides to make an exception, or if they take Bambi a second time.
Talk about overdoing it. But it was good. Tree-berry sauce with goose livers on pound cake would be the translation I think. Or something close. Brioche isn't quite pound cake.
/johnny
Given her tendencies to "herd" the cat, I think she is learning to (shep)herd the deer.
We'll see.
Of course, when loopy liberals wade into the ocean to save beached fish , all is wonderful.
And the government is not permitted to keep the USA citizens as farm animals to be sheared for their benefit.
Alabama, what a great state. You can’t keep a pet deer, but you can marry your sister!
Shearing or slavery, what’s the difference? ...and law is seldom a consequence where our benefactor the government is concerned.
Aren't you the clever smart-ass.
You're onto something here.
The folks who raised the doe should file for an exotic animal
owners permit or whatever the hell they call the equivalent
in Alabama and pay a fine to make the legal types happy. I’m
sure with all the publicity they should rack up the $ to finance
it.
Had an uncle who was ranching on the Coastal Range back in
the early 60s. Same situation. The doe, dog, cat, and a free range
duck were all buds. It was like a pre-schooler story book.
I am familiar with Brioche and juniper berrys.
Tree berrys? whats dat?
Oh, the junipers are tree berrys.
Gotcha.
Even though the deer came back, it’s now officially wild isn’t it? Does the law require the people of that neighborhood to exclude wild deer from their yards?
Let the neighbors all take turns feeding it as it runs wild from yard to yard (even if mostly camping out in its original yard).
Ihe odds against a deer in AL making it 50 miles is pretty high.
Your uncle smoked some strong herb to get all those critters to behave.
In my world, the catz RULE the dog who wouldn't let a deer in the yard.
And I, of course, true to form, would have made confit from the duck. The only thing better than bacon fat is duck grease.
You live in a nicer world than I do.
/johnny
Very flavorful.
Pinons have nuts.
/johnny
Actually, it is.
“You live in a nicer world than I do”
No, it is the same world but my uncle didn’t need “strong
herb” to control his environment and because I am pretty
old school I don’t find it particularly humorous that you
would choose to make such a comment.
Now if you think about it you might realize that often when
diverse species are raised together some of the learned
animosity doesn’t develop. Such was the case here. That
is even a reality in “your world” too.
“”It’s not really us being the bad guys,” said Gauldin.”
Don’t blame us we didn’t make the rules, we just enforce them for your masters.....seems like this was a common sentiment as the stasi gathered up the inferior species..
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