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Deer Named Carrot Seen with Arrow Through Its Head Recovering after Arrow Is Removed

Carrot, the “deer of the year,” is recovering well after his surgery that removed an arrow from his head. The unlikely survivor made headlines last week after some citizens of Kenora, Ontario spotted him with an arrow stuck straight through his skull. Now, just days after his surgery is alive and well.

“What he’s gone through in the last few weeks – from a bolt through his head to having it removed and enduring the bitter winter … I can’t imagine another animal surviving,” said Lee-Anne Carver, the nature photographer that has documented his journey. She originally found the deer in Kenora with the arrow still impaled into his head.

Carrot the Deer’s Journey

Initially, the staff of conservation officers who saw the photo thought the surgery would prove too dangerous. They believed that removing the carbon fiber arrow might cause further infection. For that reason, they advised against the surgery.

Ultimately, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry decided to go forward with the procedure anyway. The risk for infection seemed high, but that just meant the team had to act carefully. Strangely enough, no one on the team had ever carried out a procedure like this on a deer. The Kenora team actually had to take detailed directions over the phone from a veterinarian 2,000 km away in Ottowa.

Finally, after a failed attempt on Wednesday due to the deer’s continued movement, the Kenora team was able to carry out the surgery successfully. Even after the successful surgery, many people involved didn’t think Carrot would make it. After the pus came out of the wound after the team removed the arrow and Carrot’s tongue turned blue, things did not look good. Fortunately, Carver has reported seeing Carrot post-op and says he is doing fine.

“I just can’t believe it. My heart is so filled with joy. He’s pulled so many of us through that maze of darkness and we’ve been made happy again,” she said. “He really truly is the deer of year.”