Deer Spotted Sprinting Through Capitol Hill

(Updated at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday) A deer was spotted running near Lincoln Park yesterday morning.

Hill resident Rachel Holt was walking home from Eastern Market with her husband and 3-month-old about 11:45 a.m. Sunday when they spotted the animal.

“We saw a deer running at full sprint out of Lincoln Park, past us on East Capitol, just bounding down the street,” the transportation executive said. “I was trying to get my phone out, but it was past us in 10 seconds.”

The deer running in the street was headed west, toward downtown, Holt said.

The animal likely traveled to Lincoln Park from the greenery that lines the western bank of the Anacostia River, according to Bryan King, who manages wildlife for the D.C. Department of the Environment.

“If I had to put money on it, I’d say that animal came from somewhere along the river. It’s pretty much a straight shot,” he said. “It could go from the river to Eastern High School unnoticed, under the cover of darkness.”

Hill resident Laura Travis spotted a deer soon afterward on the grounds of the Capitol. She and her husband saw the animal head west toward the National Mall about noon on Sunday.

The animal or animals were likely white-tailed deer, which are common in the District but more often spotted near the National Arboretum and Rock Creek Park. Neither DDOE, the Washington Humane Society nor the National Park Service reported having found deer on Sunday.

Anyone who spots a deer in the city should not approach it or try to feed it, King said.

“If they’re eating your azaleas, just shoo them out of the way,” he said.

Did you spot the deer, too? Drop us a line at [email protected].

File photos courtesy of DDOE/Dan “The Bird Man” Rauch; closeup via Flickr/drriss