Homeowner captures shocking footage after unlikely intruder crashes through window: 'Nobody's going to believe this'

Deer invasions are causing property damage for homeowners across the country. One New Jersey homeowner awoke to the sound of a young buck crashing into his living room window, WPVI recently reported. 

What happened?

Earlier this month, Brian Carns, a Medford resident, woke up to a surprise visitor in his home. 

At around 6 a.m., Carns heard the sound of smashing glass and an intruder inside his house. He went downstairs to investigate and was shocked to find a wild deer in his living room. Immediately, he grabbed his cellphone to document and record the incident. 

"Nobody's going to believe this," he said, per 6abc. 

Cellphone footage of the deer shows the animal sprawled on the floor, trying its best to stand up on its hind legs.

"He was lying by the door, and he gets up and he starts to run around," Carns said, per 6abc.

Having dealt with farm animals in the past, Carns thought to grab the deer by its antlers to guide it out of the house. 

"I thought, 'Why not grab him by his antler and then pull him out the rear door of my house and let him out into the backyard?'" he said, per 6abc. 

Carns successfully led the young buck out of his living room and into the green space behind his house.

Gerald Hough, a wildlife biologist, said that deer invasions happen more commonly than we think. The deer probably mistook the screen door for a potential escape route and ended up crashing through the glass. 

Do you worry about air pollution in your town? All the time 💯 Often 😢 Only sometimes 😟 Never 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Why are human-wildlife interactions concerning?

This deer home invasion may have been the result of habitat destruction from ongoing developments in the town. 

Medford is actively redeveloping and paving more streets to increase the town's walkability, according to Business View Magazine. As the town develops and encroaches on spaces where wildlife dwell, human-wildlife interactions become more frequent. 

Rising global temperatures and changing weather patterns are also contributing to wildlife habitat loss, forcing wildlife to enter human-dominated areas for food or resources, and increasing the frequency of human-wildlife interactions. 

These interactions can be scary and traumatic for both humans and wildlife involved, prompting developers to consider how to consciously develop on land while paying homage to the wildlife that already lives there. 

What's being done about human-wildlife interactions?

Not all human-wildlife interactions are inherently bad. Some interactions prove that human intervention can benefit and protect wildlife species. 

In Georgia, the state's Department of Natural Resources saved a deer whose neck was stuck in plastic tubing, allowing it to breathe more easily. In Namibia, conservationists helped free seals entangled in plastic netting waste that had wrapped around their flippers, which hindered their ability to swim. 

The best rule when encountering wildlife is to observe from a safe distance, allowing wildlife and humans to coexist peacefully.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.