Jodi Prodger had spent over a decade helping to look after deer, but her generosity came back to bite her after one of the animals she cared for repaid her by killing her
A grandmother who spent over a decade looking after deer has been killed by one of the animals she cared for. The deer savagely mauled her to death before police opened fire killing a buck.
Jodi Prodger, 64, had been looking after the antlered animals for twelve years, helping to rehabilitate dozens of deer before releasing them back into the wild. However, her charitable enterprise came to a tragic end following the horrific incident at her five-acre home in Ohio.
Officers were called to the scene after several deer were seen going on a rampage in their enclosure. Eventually, she was overpowered by the deer and mauled to death.
Police were called to Jodi’s home in the Stewartsville area on November 15 to reports of the woman being mauled by the animals after having been trapped inside. When officers arrived at the home, they found Jodi inside the pen with several deer on the property, according to the Sun.
It remains unclear which of the deer was responsible for mauling Jodi, due the number of animals that were in the pen at the time. One of the bucks was shot by police from Belmont County, as it was blocking the pathway to get into the pen.
Reports from the police admitted the deer had been overly aggressive despite the officers’ best attempts at entering the pen safely. Her body was later recovered and taken to the morgue for a post-mortem examination.
Jodi had been a keen deer lover, dedicating her life to caring for and rehabilitating the animals after she saw a doe being killed in 2013. Having seen the adult get hit by a car, she rushed over a busy highway to check on the animal’s baby fawn as it willed its mum to get back up.
She would go on to name the baby Wheezer and kept him all to herself for a total of two years. However, she was forced to give him up after she received a complaint from a local neighbour, who had gotten the authorities involved.
Initially, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources had threatened to humanely cull the deer, as it is illegal to own the animal as a pet. However, when Jodi pleaded with them to let Wheezer live in exchange for her setting up a rehab centre for other deer, they relented – allowing for Jodi and Wheezer to stay together.
Jodi would look after Wheezer as he grew up, jokingly describing him as being like a dog — but with antlers. Social media updates she posted would also include other deer, walking all around her home and even getting to sleep in Jodi’s bed with her.
There has since been speculation that Wheezer could have been the one responsible for Jodi’s death, due to how close he had been with her. However, Jennifer Bryan — Jodi’s bereft daughter — posted a heartbreaking message to her own social media insisting it was not him.
“Wheezer DID NOT kill my mom,” she penned. “He was neutered per the requirements of [the Ohio Department of Natural Resources] when she received her permit.”
She added: “My mom knew the dangers of owning deer. She worked within Belmont County to rescue and aid many animals over her lifespan. This is a sad tragedy and we deserve RESPECT and time to grieve.”
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