Colorado Parks & Wildlife is investigating the incident that appears to be the result of neighbors illegally feeding the deer.

A deer that had apparently been illegally fed and lost its natural fear of humans followed an elderly woman into her Woodland Park home and attacked her with its hooves, according to Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW). The victim identified the deer the following day when it returned, and CPW euthanized it.

According to a CPW news release, the 77-year-old woman was bringing groceries in from her car when the mature deer followed her through a door she had propped open. The woman turned and found herself face-to-face with the animal, which began eating food in her kitchen. The woman tried to get the deer back out the door by throwing objects at its feet. In response, the deer reared up and began thrashing her with its hooves, according to CPW. She suffered scratches, cuts, and bruises on her back during the encounter. 

A woman suffered scratches and cuts to her back after a deer attacked her in her home. Courtesy of Colorado Parks & Wildlife.

The woman eventually got the deer back outside using a mop, although at one point during the ordeal, the deer managed to run back into the home before finally exiting the home for good. CPW responded to the scene but found the deer was gone.

The woman reported that her neighbors feed the deer, which CPW noted is a violation of state law. She told the CPW officer the deer would likely return the next day, which it did. When CPW officers responded the next morning, they found a doe in the woman's yard with unique markings that allowed her to identify it as the deer that entered her home. 

The deer was euthanized and the incident remains under investigation. 

CPW urged people not to feed wildlife, including deer. The agency cited two deer attacks on humans in the past four years in Colorado and said deer that are fed lose their fear of people, become aggressive and sometimes dangerous, and begin to view humans as a source of food. Cody Wigner, CPW assistant area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak Region, said he fears incidents of this kind will continue unless people begin to take state laws forbidding feeding wildlife seriously.

“This is why it is illegal to feed deer and why we urge people to make them feel uncomfortable in neighborhoods,” Wigner said. “The issue is far more serious than ruined landscaping or even the car wrecks deer cause on a daily basis on our roads."

Is human interaction with wildlife an issue in your neighborhood? Share your experience in the comments.