CHICAGO — The injured deer that found its way onto the Blue Line tracks Monday — and shut down the train line for hours — had to be euthanized, according to city officials.
The deer had to be put down because of its significant injuries, including a severely broken back leg, open wounds and multiple fractures, according to the city’s Department of Animal Care and Control.
“Following a medical evaluation by the shelter’s veterinary staff and in conjunction with wildlife best practices, it was determined that because of multiple fractures, severely broken back leg, open wounds and low likelihood of survival in the wild, the safest and most humane option was euthanization,” the city department said in a statement.
RELATED: Oh Deer! Blue Line Service Suspended For Hours As City Removes Injured Deer From Tracks
Service between the Harlem and O’Hare Blue Line stations was suspended for about three hours Monday afternoon as emergency officials removed the injured deer from the tracks at the Harlem stop. The deer was then tranquilized and taken to the shelter for further assessment.
The department said returning a sick, previously tranquilized deer back into the wild is a public health risk for anyone who “may lawfully claim and consume the venison.”
Experts determined the deer had a less than 1 percent chance of survival in the wild, the department said.