A female doe, lovingly dubbed Floppy the deer, was first spotted on October 11 near the Hollywood Reservoir. She had a bone stuck in her mouth, and as per Patch, officials were unable to dislodge it despite extensive efforts like blocking off a go-to hiking area.
According to NBC LA, the Department of Fish and Wildlife executed the mission on Tuesday, after closing down the entrance to Lake Hollywood. They proceeded to scan the area in hopes of finding her. Concerned residents living nearby aided them in their search by sending in photos and videos of Floppy.
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Floppy the deer won't be able to survive without human intervention, officials say
Speaking about why Floppy has A massive bone lodged down her throat, Kevin Howells, a biologist for the department explained to KTTV:
"She has what looks to be a femur bone, lodged in her mouth and her throat," adding that deer "chew on bones infrequently, and they look to get minerals from bones that they are not getting from [elsewhere] in their diet. She's wounded. She's injured. She feels vulnerable. She's malnourished."
He also added that this is the "first time" he's "ever seen anything like this." He continued, noting that he's "just hoping to get an opportunity to chemically immobilize her, assess the wounds, and attempt to remove the bone if possible."
The clip made its way to social media, and users online began swooning over the doe and wishing for her speedy recovery. According to NBC LA, Floppy is part of a herd of about seven or eight others that live in the area. Howells continued, expressing concern about her ability to feed herself.
"I saw her briefly yesterday afternoon. But she went down-slope toward the water, and I didn’t have a chance to immobilize her. She’s not quite emaciated yet, but she’s on her way. She’s obviously, I believe, incapable of getting water and of browsing as well.”
Per the outlet, the department plans to knock Floppy out with a tranquilizer dart, extract the bone, treat her if necessary, and release her back into the wild. Without human interference, her chances of survival are low. Notably, the lake area is vast enough for the doe to go into hiding before the drug takes effect, Howells told Fox LA.
In speaking with Patch, Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Tim Daly revealed that the team has yet to return to the search and rescue site, as they had other matters to tend to.
"We do have access to field cameras, and the hiking area is back open to the public so we wouldn’t be surprised if we get reports of sightings. Our response would be based on the credibility of the reports and how soon we could get there to locate the deer."
Anyone with any information on Floppy the deer's whereabouts can call the Fish and Wildlife's Region 5 office at 858-467-4201.
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