A deer that got his antlers stuck in a purple hammock has become a local celebrity in a small northern town in Canada. Although sightings of “Hammy the deer” have proved plentiful over the past few months, being able to catch him to remove the fabric from his antlers is another matter.
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Hammy’s (mis)adventures began back in the summer in Prince Rupert, British Columbia when Marcedés Mack was visiting family in town. She told CBC News that she heard a distress call coming from the backyard and went to check things out. That’s when she first spotted Hammy thrashing around – his antlers had gotten stuck in the neighbor’s hammock.
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Macks’ sister called the RCMP, who managed to free the deer by cutting the hammock. However, they weren’t able to untangle the fabric from his right antler.
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Hammy’s purple adornment soon gained him notice, and then fame, after Mack set up a Facebook page for him.
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“I kind of felt an attachment, so I figured if I started a page for him, I could bring the community together to keep tabs on Hammy for me by sharing pics and stories,” she wrote in the introduction to the Facebook group ‘Chronicles of Hammy the Deer’.
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Dozens of photos of Hammy being spotted around town have since been submitted to the page.
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Then, people started to share Hammy-inspired Halloween costumes and Christmas ornaments.
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Some people were even inspired to dress up their pets.
A local clothing store even created a T-Shirt, with proceeds going to wildlife conservation.
Prince Rupert resident Frances Riley said Hammy’s celebrity status is to be expected, “It’s kind of an unusual thing with a giant purple ball of fabric attached to his head,” she said. “He looks both noble and ridiculous.”
Conservation officers were initially not overly concerned for Hammy as he seemed to be able to eat and get around just fine. And with his antlers due to fall of in the winter time (as they naturally do for young bucks), Hammy’s purple adornment would be temporary.
However, with rutting season approaching, they grew concerned he might get tangled with another deer. And it seems Hammy is already locking antlers with other male deers in the area.
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But the conservation officers sent to tranquilize Hammy and remove the fabric are having a hard time tracking the deer down after a day of searching.
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With any luck, they will look to the Hammy’s Facebook page for clues as to where he is hanging out. After all, his ardent fans are keeping pretty close tabs on him!
Share Hammy the deer with your family and friend.
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