Deer shot downtown

Photo: Jon Manchester/file

Police shot an injured deer in downtown Kelowna outside an apartment building on Nov. 1.

Residents living near Gordon Drive and Bernard Avenue were woken up just before 10 p.m. by the sound of gunfire.

“I was in bed and got up after the first couple of shots to see what was going on,” said one resident. “I saw the police officer shoot the deer with his pistol.”

RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey tells Castanet police received a call about a badly injured deer in a dumpster on the 1100 block of Bernard Avenue.

“A police officer ... located and safely dispatched the animal, which was found suffering from a severely fractured leg,” said O’Donaghey.

Two residents tell Castanet that five shots were fired to dispatch the trapped animal.

Conservation officer Ken Owens said last week alone, seven deer were injured in motor vehicle accidents in Kelowna.

“We ... are the lead agency in wildlife-human conflict matters,” said Owens. “We receive many calls locally through our RAPP line related to injured deer within the city.”

Conservation officers will assess the extent of the animal's injuries and whether the deer can adapt or if it should be humanely euthanized.

“We are one of the few agencies who have a wildlife veterinarian on staff, which we regularly consult with,” he said.

Residents say city staff arrived the next morning to dispose of the carcass.

Owens says more could be done to allow residents and wildlife to coexist.

“The City of Kelowna could do a lot more to assist in ... adopting the urban deer management program as many other cities within the province have done,” he said.