Deer dance around downtown Spokane

May 15-A trio of mule deer gracefully maneuvered their way through downtown Spokane Wednesday morning, much to the surprise of human onlookers.

The three deer casually strolled down Stevens Street and Main Avenue and then looped their way along Spokane Falls Boulevard, streaking past the 40 life-sized Bloomsday runner statues.

Fianna Dickson, the communications manager for Spokane parks and recreation, said deer aren't uncommon in Riverfront Park. They appear more frequently in the winter months, she said, but still show their slender faces in the spring and summer.

"Our rangers believe that they possibly are coming from the west end, coming down that river corridor," Dickson said. "We see them down in Huntington Park sometimes."

Staci Lehman, a spokesperson for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the entire river serves as a wildlife corridor. She said many people don't realize just how many animals travel up and down the length of the Spokane River.

Dickson said the dainty mammals usually don't wander into the streets. Most likely, Lehman said something spooked them or attempts to find new food led them to stray from their stomping grounds. Whatever the reason, multiple cellphone videos captured them leisurely jogging through downtown Spokane.

Rich Landers, who served as the outdoors editor for the Spokesman-Review for nearly 41 years, said the deer probably got spooked and disoriented and were trying to find their way back to the wildlife corridor along the Spokane River.

He said numerous trails on the north bank of the Spokane River, near Kendall Yards, have been made and maintained over time by mule deer. Lehman said the Spokane area is surrounded on multiple sides by an abundance of wildlife habitat. Deer enjoy the Peaceful Valley area in particular because many people elect to feed them, Landers said.

When he work ed at the Spokesman-Review, Landers would regularly ride his bike through Peaceful Valley and noted it wasn't uncommon to see deer frolicking around, eating flowers and other foliage.

Landers called Riverfront Park an amazing habitat for mule deer because they feel protected and don't have to worry much at all about predators.

Lehman said that if people see deer in downtown Spokane again, the last thing they should do is feed them. If they're fed by people, she said, they're more likely to stick around, which in turn increases the odds of them getting hit by a vehicle and even becoming aggressive towards people. They also might bring more of their four-legged friends.

And if there's a small herd of deer that frequent a particular area, then predators, like cougar, are likely to follow.

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