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Deer Spotted In East Lakeview Courtyard

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Deer are commonplace in some places within the city limits, such as the North Park Village Nature Center or the forest preserves in outlying neighborhoods.

But it's not so common to find deer in densely-populated lakefront communities. However, when everyone was looking for a place to cool off on Tuesday, one doe picked garden area of a courtyard building in the East Lakeview neighborhood.

The female deer was found in the courtyard of a building in the 600 block of West Barry Avenue. People who live in the building were excited to see such an unusual sight.

"Somebody yelled down at me and called me, and a couple of people all at once, saying we had a deer in our courtyard. I thought they were pranking me. I was certain I was being punked," said Bruce Alan Beal, a resident of the building. "But sure enough, I came out, and there's a doe. She's probably 3 or 4 years old, and she's sitting in the back of our courtyard, kind of hunkered down against the edge of the building."

Beal said the deer looked to be "scared to death, laboring and breathing real heavy, but she's safe."

Police told neighbors to keep clear and leave the animal alone. Beal said he was told Animal Care and Control would not respond to such a situation, since the deer was neither a stray pet nor a dangerous animal.

Neighbors were advised to allow the deer to leave the courtyard on her own, Beal said.

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