SPOKANE, Wash. — A couple of dead deer spotted on S. Freya Street has prompted dozens of complaints to the city of Spokane.
On Friday, a KREM 2 viewer called the station concerned about the dead animals. She said the two dead deer have been laying near the sidewalk between E. 12th Ave. and E. 11th Ave. since at least Thursday around 12:30 p.m.
A KREM photographer drove to the scene and said it appeared the deer had been hit by a car.
City of Spokane spokesperson Marlene Feist said the city has received 26 complaints about the deer. She said it’s highly unusual to get that many complaints about one issue.
Feist said they contract with Critter Control in Spokane to remove animal carcasses. They recently renewed their contract with the company. They are expected to get out there to clean up the deer in the next day or so, Feist said.
A neighbor said they often see wildlife in the area and have asked the city to put in a deer crossing sign in the area. He said they were told there aren’t enough deer.
Feist said there are only two deer crossing signs in Spokane - one at Five Mile and one by the Downriver Golf Course - and research shows they are not much help.
"The federal government released information that says there's no correlation between signs and the number of collisions between vehicles and deer, and we haven't put a lot of investment into deer crossing signs as a result," Feist said.
She said deer populations are likely higher during this mild winter and drivers should be diligent on city roads.