WA Wildlife Officials React After Viral Deer-Feeding Video

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — A Herron Island woman is navigating some blowback after posting video of several deer chowing down food she left for them on an outdoor table. Her Twitter post was retweeted more than 3,000 times and liked more than 16,000 times by late Thursday. The video quickly found its way to the the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Wildlife officials say feeding deer hay or other artificial food can cause their digestive systems to adjust, which can sometimes lead to death if the process is prolonged. WDFW says deer, elk, and other wild animals are biologically adapted to survive the cold months without human help.

KRIO 7 reports the woman reached out to wildlife officials to contact her. She says the island has been a deer sanctuary for decades and that feeding them is not uncommon in their small community.