Deer on Lido Isle sedated, relocated

A young male deer that found its way onto Lido Isle in Newport Beach was corralled by animal control officers Friday and taken to Crystal Cove State Park, where it was released.

Police first received calls that a deer was in the Bay Shores neighborhood ? on the mainland ? at 6:40 a.m. Friday, but the officers who responded could not find it.

About 20 minutes later, dispatchers received about 20 more calls reporting a deer across the channel on Lido Isle, Newport Lt. Mike McDermott said.

At 7 a.m. the deer was spotted near the Lido Isle bridge and cornered in the backyard of a nearby home. When California Fish and Game officers arrived, the deer appeared relaxed and was making itself at home in a corner of the yard between a hedge and the waterfront.

“It was basically trying to bed down for the day,” California Fish and Game Warden Larry Stephens said.

Stephens used a tranquilizer dart to sedate the 150-pound animal. Fish and game officers then took it to Crystal Cove State Park and waited for the sedation to wear off.

Officers watched as the deer lifted its head, got up and ran off toward El Moro canyon, Stephens said.

Although this deer appeared to be calm, they can become skittish if they’re scared or confused, Stephens said. The tranquilizer is safe for the animals.

Authorities are unsure how the deer got onto Lido Isle, although it’s likely it swam across the narrow channel from Bayshore Drive.