The town is reminding residents to report injured wildlife to the proper authorities.

There have been a few injured deer seen around town this year, Christa Michailuck, Parks Manager, Town of Okotoks says there's two avenues people can take to report injured animals, calling Fish and Wildlife or the RCMP.

"Fish and Wildlife might not be as quick to respond, they do have office hours, they're not a 24/7 service and may be out in the field," she explains. "The RCMP are more readily available depending on the time of day, both of those authorities have the ability to put the deer down if that's what's needed."

She explains it's best to call professionals to help an animal rather than take matters into your own hands, for your and the animal's safety.

"They shouldn't approach it, it is a wild animal and people need to think about their own safety. They should maybe not encourage it to move along depending on how injured it is, give it space, and report it. If it's laying somewhere not moving let others know so they don't come across it without realizing it's there."

Mihailuck says the most common injury seen in deer around town are leg injuries and limps, likely caused by vehicles.

There were 16 deer fatalities in Okotoks during 2016.

If you see an injured animal in Okotoks call Fish and Wildlife at 403-652-8330 or RCMP at 403-938-4202

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email us at news@okotoksonline.com