Wildlife Officials Puzzled Why Deer Are Dropping Dead Around Lodi Lake
LODI (CBS13) — Dead deer have been showing up at a popular hiking area near Lodi Lake.
Four carcasses have been found in just the last two months in a mystery for wildlife officials.
The dead deer have been found in the same general area along a walking trail near Lodi Lake.
Animal services officer Brena DeFazio says four deer carcasses have turned up near Lodi Lake in just the last two months.
"It's very concerning to us," she said. "We have not found this many deceased deer in the nature area of Lodi in the time that I've been employed there."
The dead deer have all been reported by hikers—three carcasses were found along the north trail while a pile of bones were found in a nearby meadow.
"A couple days prior to when this third deer was found, there was a report of an ill deer," she said.
She worries it could be something they ate. She doesn't think another bigger animal in the area is killing them because there were no signs of foul play. They're hoping the public can help in keeping a watchful eye.
"We don't want this to happen again but if it does happen, we are hoping we can get it as soon after it passes so that they can do the proper testing on the tissue and find out if it died from a disease or if there was any poison that may have been in the area, intentional or unintentional," she said.