Last Updated: February 29, 2024, 19:01 IST
Deer’s reaction to man’s photoshoot attempt is priceless. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
With a sudden alertness, the deer turns its gaze towards the man and emits an ominous grunt.
Animal lovers are like amateur paparazzi, always hunting for the perfect shot with their critter companions. They usually go above and beyond to make animals feel safer around them only to capture the moment in a photograph or a video. While some pets are used to this treatment, it’s a whole different ball game with wild animals. A recent Instagram video hilariously captured a man attempting to strike a pose with a deer on a snowy mountain, who in a hilarious twist, decided to give the poor guy a run for his money.
The video starts with a man extending his hand to pet a deer on its neck. His friend, safely ensconced in their vehicle, captures the moment on video, no doubt expecting a heartwarming scene of interspecies friendship.
The man’s hand brushes the deer’s neck not once, but twice. All seems well… until the deer’s keen senses kick in. With a sudden alertness, it turns its gaze towards the man and emits an ominous grunt. The man then makes a hasty retreat, leaving the deer to ponder the strange encounter as it watches him scamper away.
The video racked up 687,000 views on the social media platform. With an overlaying text that humorously read, “Posing with a deer: Gone wrong,” it seemed like the perfect recipe for a viral hit.
But the viewers’ reactions were far from what the uploader might have expected. A user expressed their discontent, saying, “That’s not ‘gone wrong,’ that’s exactly how it should have been. People should stop tormenting and disturbing animals for social media. Just let them be.”
Another user chimed in, noting the deer’s clear message, “He’s asking to be left alone!”
A user drove the point home, stating, “And this is why people should leave wild animals alone.”
An earlier incident took a more unfortunate turn when a deer encounter left a man injured. According to The New York Post, a tourist’s effort to photograph a deer ended in pain when the animal rammed him, resulting in broken ribs.
The Humane Society of the United States emphasises the importance of staying safe around wildlife, advising, “The best way to stay safe when watching wildlife is to give animals room to move.” They note that many parks mandate a minimum distance of 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from predators such as bears and wolves.