A young buck caused a chaotic scene at Piner High School in Santa Rosa earlier this week after wandering into a second-floor classroom filled with students, crashing into furniture and a window before being safely removed by animal control officers.
The deer entered the school’s J building through an open doorway around 2:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, Oct. 26, and made its way upstairs into a second-floor classroom, according to Patrick Gannon, a spokesperson for Santa Rosa City Schools.
School officials instructed students to stay inside their classrooms across campus once the deer was spotted, keeping students safe while police and animal control officers responded.
The buck eventually wandered into a classroom where students were present, though the room was not full, Gannon said. No students or staff members were injured.
Videos shared on social media showed a chaotic scene as the frightened animal scrambled around the classroom, crashing into a window and injuring its nose while apparently trying to escape.
The deer damaged window blinds, dented classroom furniture, broke a printer and damaged electrical cords. Papers and other classroom materials were also knocked over, Gannon said.
Two Sonoma County Animal Services officers responded alongside Santa Rosa police and worked to safely remove the animal, according to Brian Whipple, the animal services agency’s director.
An animal control officer used a catch pole to secure the deer before checking its injuries, according to Whipple and Santa Rosa police Lt. Tommy Isachsen.
Officers then guided the animal downstairs and through campus before escorting it across Fulton Road into Youth Community Park. Santa Rosa police temporarily stopped traffic to allow the deer to cross safely.
Once inside the park, officers released the buck.
“From what the officers stated, once released the deer looked back at the officers for a moment and ran off into the woods,” Whipple said in an email.
Students remained in their classrooms until areas the deer had passed through could be sanitized, Gannon said.
Whipple said the unusual encounter comes during deer mating season, known as the rut, when bucks become more active and move throughout their territories.
During this time of year, male deer shed the velvet covering on their antlers, and residents may notice an increase in deer activity and sightings, he said.
It is generally advised to keep a safe distance from all wildlife when possible and to call local agencies such as animal services if encountering an injured or sick animal.
You can reach Staff Writer Isabel Beer at isabel.beer@pressdemocrat.com.
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