Why Neighbors Were Told To Stay Away From 'Friendly' Deer In Utah

A deer named "Cooper" is becoming part of the Herriman, Utah, community. He's taking pictures with neighbors, playing with kids and just trying to have a good time. Ya know?

“He liked hanging out with the kids, he was playing on the hill with them,” resident Angelica Lujan told FOX 13.

Lujan added just how "friendly" Cooper was with the rest of the community. The deer has been hanging out for weeks now and the neighborhood is starting to wonder where his family is.

“When he first started coming around, some of the neighbors had talked about not being too friendly with him so he doesn’t get used to us, but it’s a little bit past that,” she said.

Despite all the fun and new experiences neighbors in Herriman are experiencing with Cooper, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said to leave him alone.

"People don’t realize these beautiful, cute deer can be aggressive as they get older. We’ve had times in the past where these friendly deer, they do get aggressive. We’ve had kids hurt at bus stops. Bad things happen when we feed deer in a residential area," said Scott Root, conservation outreach manager of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Root added if Cooper becomes "too regular" in the neighborhood, UDWR might have to euthanize him because relocation might not be an option anymore.

“We choose not to relocate because of disease considerations. If this deer stays in the community, it could get hit by a car,” Root said. “We're hoping people don’t befriend it and it goes up in the foothills but if people do see it, leave it alone. Everyone loves that picture for Facebook or Instagram but you’re really doing that animal a disservice and maybe giving it a death sentence if it becomes too domesticated."