Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for June 16, 2005 ANIMALS STRIKE BACK

Lions and tigers and...DEER...oh, my!

If you are going to be on the SIU-C Campus in the near future, beware! From today's Southern Illinoisan...

Officials report 7 deer incidents at SIUC

BY CALEB HALE
THE SOUTHERN

CARBONDALE - Southern Illinois University Carbondale officials addressed what they call a rare series of deer attacks against seven people on campus in the last two weeks, during a press conference Wednesday.

SIUC Department of Public Safety Director Todd Sigler said both students and faculty have reported seven instances of does charging them in areas near Thompson Woods, a fact experts attribute to the protective nature female deer feel during fawning season, which reached its peak this month.

Sigler said on June 7 three people were attacked reportedly by the same doe near Thompson Woods. All three suffered injuries but only two were hospitalized. The Southern Illinoisan spoke to one of the victims, Ron Gillette, who fought back the attacking animal last week.

Sigler said a deer also attacked a person outside of the Old Baptist Foundation building Monday. On Tuesday one person was threatened and two others injured when a doe charged them in an area along Chautauqua Street. The two were treated at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and are said to be doing fine by university officials.

"This is something that is uncommon for us to deal with," Sigler said.

SIUC Police originally taped off the perimeter of Thompson Woods, he said, but have now reverted to placing a dozen signs in the vicinity, warning pedestrians of the deer.

Clayton K. Nielsen, a scientist with SIUC's Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, said dangerous encounters with a doe are rare occurrences, and have not been reported previously in the history of the campus, even though it sits in the middle of the Shawnee National Forest.

Nielsen offered some explanation for the sudden change in deer behavior.

"The deer population on campus-is likely increasing," he said. "And there have been some habitat modifications on campus that have possibly caused the deer to move toward the center of campus."

Nielsen said some of the construction and development work being done in places on campus may be forcing deer to seek new shelter but may be moving them into contact with humans.

Normally there wouldn't be such a significant danger factor, he added, but does are feeling especially protective of the babies they have been producing. June typically is the peak of fawning season for deer, Nielsen said.

Luckily, he added, fawning season is ending.

"Where we are today is just on the outside of the peak of fawning season," Nielsen said. "We're tapering off from that period where the does are going to be aggressive."

Nielsen said he has been in contact with Illinois Department of Natural Resources officials, letting them know about the attacks. At this point, officials aren't planning much more than educating those on campus to keep watch for deer and keep a distance from the mothers.

Sigler said killing the offending deer has been suggested but not seriously considered.

"We realize that carries with it a negative public reaction, as well as being a short-sighted measure," he said.

Students, meanwhile, have heard the warnings but are mostly going about normal business.

Bill House, a 20-year-old SIUC student of zoology from Park Ridge, said the basic piece of advice university officials have given is to use common sense around wild animals.

House said he is just avoiding the paths along Thompson Woods altogether for the moment.

"I usually go through there, but I've not been since the attacks," he said. "I don't want to be a statistic, I guess."

Molly Hacker, a 25-year-old plant biology student, said she has no problem using the forest paths. She is just watching the woods a little more closely.

"I'm kind of keeping an eye out, but I don't feel too threatened," she said.

Nielsen said while deer may seem like peaceful creatures worthy of a cuddle, they can still pose the same kinds of danger as a grizzly bear to a human.

"The take-home message from all this is deer are wild animals," he said.

caleb.hale@thesouthern.com