KINGMAN, Ariz. – Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) wildlife officers never know what they’ll face from one day to the next.
Two weeks ago, the department’s radio dispatch center received a call about a deer fawn in Chloride, Ariz., that was covered in cholla cactus. They relayed the information to AZGFD wildlife officer Troy Moody in Kingman, who contacted the reporting party and was told the fawn typically came onto the person’s property around 2:30 p.m. each afternoon. Officer Moody arrived to find several deer, but the fawn was nowhere to be seen.
About 15 minutes later, however, the fawn and its mother approached the property. Officer Moody noticed the fawn had cholla spines by the hundreds all over its body, not just the clumps visible on its face. He was able to chemically immobilize the fawn and began removing the cholla while the fawn’s mother watched from a distance.
“Most concerning,” said Officer Moody, “were the spines in the fawn’s eyelids, nose, and mouth, keeping it from eating or drinking.”
After a lot of time—and plenty of cholla spines in his hands and legs—Officer Moody was able to remove all of the cholla from the fawn’s entire body.
“Thankfully, no cholla had entered the fawn’s eye, and there was no lasting injury,” said Moody. “I was able to reverse the drug and the fawn quickly woke up and joined its mother, who had been patiently waiting nearby.”
“AZGFD is proud of Officer Moody for putting his own comfort aside and going the extra mile to make sure that this fawn could return to a normal life,” said AZGFD Kingman Regional Supervisor Karen Klima. “It’s part of the department’s mission to conserve and protect wildlife.”
