Beloved deer killed by wild bear inside their enclosure at nature park, NC officials say
A North Carolina nature park is mourning the loss of two of its white-tailed deer in an apparent black bear attack, the park announced.
Becca and Curly were found dead in their enclosure in the early morning last week, WNC Nature Center in Asheville said in an April 17 news release.
The park said there are still “unanswered questions,” but park officials believe a wild black bear got into the deer enclosure and “either directly or indirectly caused their passing,” according to the release.
“This was an unfortunate accident that has never before occurred within our animal collection,” Nature Center director Chris Gentile said in the release. “While it’s a rare occurrence for something like this to happen, our Animal Care and Maintenance Teams have taken additional measures to dissuade and deter wild animals from entering our animal exhibits.”
Park officials said they have shared the park with wild black bears “without incident” up to this point.
Becca the deer was born in 2013 and brought to the nature center shortly after, nature center officials said. Becca made a name for herself in Hollywood after being cast in the Oscar-winning movie “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” in 2017.
The nature center said staff trained Becca to stand in front of a blue screen, and the footage was later edited into the movie. That way, Becca could be next to her “co-star” Frances McDormand.
Curly joined Becca in her enclosure in 2020 after he was kept illegally as a pet, nature center officials said. He had become too comfortable around on humans and could not be released.
“Both of the white-tailed deer at the Nature Center were gentle, curious, and loved by guests and staff,” the center said in the release.
Visitors to the park shared condolences and memories of their experiences with the deer on a WNC Nature Center Facebook post.
“So heartbreaking. I loved seeing the deer when we visit,” one comment said. “Hopefully you can find a way to prevent this in the future.”
“I was an intern a while back, and I was in charge of feeding the deer. I had the pleasure of entering their enclosure a few times to take care of them,” a former employee shared. “(Becca) seriously was one of the sweetest animals I’ve ever met. She let me walk right up to help and take a picture. She was very (calm) and content, and I sat with her for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s presence.”
The nature center said western North Carolina has many black bears, and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission estimates there could be as many as 8,000 bears in the area of the park, according to the release.
“Wild bears are opportunistic creatures. Don’t leave food out, and make sure your garbage is secure,” Gentile said.
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