It's no 'deer in headlights', it's a deer in a pool. But not just any swimming pool. It's not often you see a wild animal--normally dedicated to land--taking a dip with water-loving creatures like seals. Visitors at a Norwalk, Connecticut, aquarium captured video of a misplaced deer share the swimming waters of in-house seals August 2, 2011.
It may not be common but it's not completely unheard-of for one of the skinny creatures to find its way to (or into) man-made dipping pools -- like in this Father's Day 2010 video of a lost baby deer taking a swimming pool dip.
What is more than rare -- possibly a one-time occurrence -- is a deer sharing waters with seals. The Norwalk aquarium's spotted visitor actually found the destination via a nearby waterway -- accidentally busting into the indoor/outdoor seal exhibit during the 1:45 p.m. right after feeding time. Perhaps he caught the whiff of potential food. Employees think he arrived at the aquarium after swimming from the nearby Norwalk River.
All animals -- deer and seals alike -- remained unharmed in Connecticut's melee: The only part that could've added some confusion at the aquarium is when the deer, while trying to escape its plight, nearly swam under the indoor-outdoor barrier that leads to the aquarium's indoor section. That indoor area was housing the Norwalk aquarium's seal population at the time. Those may have been some very surprised seals.
Workers at the Connecticut aquarium made multiple attempts to catch the scared and scrambling deer with a net. Not surprisingly, the lost deer continued to avoid netted objects and those people holding them. 30 minutes later, video shows someone got smart and provided that deer some 'land' to connect with, lowering a ramp into the water so the animal could make an expedient exit.