CASCADE TOWNSHIP: A plastic jack-o’-lantern meant for collecting Halloween candy is threatening the life of a small deer that frequently visits a gated community. The fake pumpkin has been stuck on the animal’s snout for at least several days. It appears to be snagged on the young buck’s ears or horn buds. Animal experts who went to the neighbourhood on November 9 to assess the situation got within 35 to 40 yards of the deer, said Bert Vescolani, director of the John Ball Zoo in nearby Grand Rapids.

Zoo personnel, as well as other animal experts, planned to return to the site on November 10. If they see the deer, they hope to shoot a tranquiliser dart into him, remove the plastic jack-o’-lantern after the buck becomes unconscious and take the animal somewhere to recover until he can be released back into the wild.