Hersheypark deer removed after fawn wanders into guest area
A wild fawn entered Hersheypark in Pennsylvania, prompting staff to secure the area, carry it out and call state wildlife officials.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
A Hersheypark deer encounter gave visitors an unexpected wildlife cameo after a wild fawn made its way into the Pennsylvania theme park and had to be removed by staff, according to UPI and PennLive.
Video posted to Facebook by witness Kimberly Hertz showed employees tending to the young deer as it rested beside a tree near a busy walkway, UPI reported. The clip showed workers covering the fawn’s head with a towel before carrying it out of the park.
Hershey Entertainment told PennLive in an email that the animal was a wild fawn that “appeared to be in distress and acting erratically” near one of the employee entrances to Hersheypark.
The company said the deer later entered the park, prompting staff to act. According to Hershey Entertainment, its team secured the area, removed the animal from the guest area, contacted the Pennsylvania Game Commission and followed the commission’s guidance.
What happened to the deer at Hersheypark?
Hershey Entertainment said the fawn was carefully taken out of the guest area after it entered the park. The company told PennLive that staff contacted the Pennsylvania Game Commission and handled the situation according to the agency’s direction.
The episode did not disrupt regular operations at Hersheypark, the park said, according to UPI. No closure, ride stoppage or other interruption was reported by the park in connection with the deer’s visit.
The Facebook video circulated after the fawn was spotted near the walkway, giving parkgoers a close look at an animal more often seen beyond the gates than inside one of Pennsylvania’s best-known attractions.
Hershey Entertainment’s account, as reported by PennLive, framed the response as a safety move for both guests and the animal. Staff first secured the area before moving the fawn away from visitors and seeking wildlife guidance.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s specific instructions were not detailed in the reports. Hershey Entertainment said only that the park contacted the commission and followed its guidance once the animal was removed from the guest area.
UPI reported the unusual park visitor on July 29. The incident joined the lighter side of animal-in-unexpected-place news, though Hersheypark’s response centered on a fawn the company said appeared distressed.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.