Jirayu Niranwirot, a Senior Veterinarian at the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office, arrived at the beach access track early yesterday evening to provide assistance to the wounded animal.
“The deer’s injuries were not serious. The deer’s left foreleg was better than we thought. It was only sprained and it can walk up a short distance to find food,” he said.
Mr Jirayu administered antibiotics via anesthetic shots with the help of locals and tourists.
“The second injection was to treat the pain, swelling and inflammation,” he said.
“The deer’s injury will be better in about a week. The deer will be able to walk back into the woods by itself. But I will come back to check on it if it does not get better,” he assured.
However, the deer yesterday was already showing signs of a quick recovery. Before Mr Jirayu had left the deer had wandered into a local shack to seek refuge.
Tourists at the beach who saw the deer in distress provided whatever assistance they could.
One tourist, Paisan Phithakwong, said that he could do nothing but help after seeing the injured deer on the path.
“I waited to assist and help the doctor after knowing that the staff would send a doctor to treat the deer,” he said.
Dr Jirayu said that ’Queen deer’, or sambar deer, is an animal that people may raise as a business.
“This deer has no fear of people, I think it’s probably a deer that has an owner and escaped out of the enclosure,” he said.
Chinnathep Kanghae, Chief of Khao Phra Thaeo Non-Hunting Area, whose office is responsible for all wild animals on Phuket, confirmed to The Phuket News earlier yesterday that the animal is legally, privately owned.
“The deer had escaped its enclosure. It actually has an owner who is licensed to raise it even though it is a protected wildlife animal. It can be checked because it has an embedded chip,” he said.
Mr Chinnathep declined to reveal the name of the owner.