Dec. 5 (UPI) — Conservation officers in Idaho came to the rescue of a mule deer found trapped inside an abandoned water tank.
Idaho Fish & Game said conservation officers from the Magic Valley Region responded to a report of a buck trapped in an abandoned water storage tank outside of Hailey.
The department said it was unclear how long the mule deer had been trapped inside the 12-foot-deep tank, which is believed to have been used for water storage by the old Hawatha Hotel, built in the late 1880s.
The officers tranquilized the deer and used a sling to hoist the animal to safety.
“Before release, the deer received a green ear tag to indicate it had been darted with anesthetizing drugs and for future identification purposes,” the department said.
The deer was examined for injuries by a veterinarian and released back into the wild.
