Buck caught in stranglehold of fast-growing invasive vines, Kentucky photos show
_fitted.png "The 8-point buck was discovered trapped in a tangle of invasive kudzu vines at Fishtrap Lake Wildlife Management Area, according to Kentucky wildlife officials.")
A buck was found helplessly trapped in the Kentucky woods, its neck twisted and its head caught in a stranglehold of invasive vines, photos show.
The whitetail deer was discovered like this near the Fishtrap Lake Wildlife Management Area, state wildlife officials said in an Oct. 8 Facebook post, adding that game wardens were sent to free the animal.
Based on photos shared by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, the 8-point buck is lucky help was dispatched. A thick mess of vines is seen holding the animal in place, and it doesn’t look like it will let go any time soon.
The buck ran into kudzu vines — an infamous and extremely fast-growing invasive imported from Japan — and its green tendrils became tightly wrapped around the animal’s antlers, wildlife officials said.
“Wow, this is an unexpected impact of invasive plants,” the University of Illinois’ forestry extension commented.
Game wardens had to take a boat to get to the deer. And while it’s not clear how long it had been tangled in the kudzu vines, photos show the deer was sitting down even as game wardens approached, possibly so exhausted from failed attempts to break free that it could no longer stand.
Game wardens “were able to cut the vines and free the deer, which was unharmed and took off after a brief rest,” officials said.
As mentioned earlier, kudzu vines are an invasive species. Imported to the U.S. from Japan in the 1800s, it was thought to be largely useless until the 1930s when the government began using kudzu on a large scale to combat the widespread soil erosion devastating America’s agriculture, according to the Smithsonian.
However, the vine can and does grow out of control, particularly in the South, due to its resilient nature and the fact that it can grow up to 18 inches in a single day, experts say.
If left unchecked, kudzu can quickly smother trees, barns, homes and just about anything in its path.
The Fishtrap Lake Wildlife Management Area is located in far eastern Kentucky, and is a roughly 150-mile drive southeast from Lexington.
This story was originally published October 9, 2024 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Buck caught in stranglehold of fast-growing invasive vines, Kentucky photos show."