Walmart Customer Tackles, Frees Deer From Pet Food Aisle

Image courtesy of Stephanie Koljonen

Every once in a while we hear of a wild animal heeding the call to be more human-like by wandering into an establishment that is markedly not for them — from bargain hunting beavers to a seal pup taking a booth at a restaurant. The latest case of animals going not-wild comes from Minnesota, where a deer decided to do some sampling in the pet food aisle of a local Walmart.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that a shopper in the big box store tackled the deer, holding it in place until it could be returned to the wild.

The incident began around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Wadena, MN, Walmart store when customers began to notice the out-of-place shopper.

One woman tells the Tribune that she was shopping for dog dishes when she heard a woman scream and saw the deer sliding on the floor of the store. That’s when she says a man tackled the animal against a bag of dog food.

Related: 17 Times Animals Went Shopping In Human Stores

The man tells WDAY-TV that he was just shopping when the deer actually ran into him.

“I felt like I got slugged or something,” he says, noting that he then decided to take matters into his own hands. “I figured I was bigger than the deer, so I’d win that wrestling match.”

And he did. After wrestling the animal to the ground, the man covered the deer’s eyes in order to calm it. Employees then tied dog leashes to its legs and carried it outside to freedom, the Tribune reports.

It’s believed that the deer entered the store — possibly looking for a snack — through the location’s garden center doors, which are motion activated.

Police tell WDAY that the store has made changes to the doors, likely preventing future deer — or other animals — from entering the retailer.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.