The beloved deer that took up residence in Harlem, New York this month died of stress Friday afternoon, just hours after it was pardoned from a death sentence issued by Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo spared the white-tailed buck its life Friday after it spent the night on death row. The state had planned to relocate the deer to upstate New York, according to the New York Post.
De Blasio argued in an interview Friday morning it would be more "humane" to kill the buck who swam across the East River to Jackie Robinson Park looking for a mate. The mayor, labeled "deer hunter" on Twitter, had not commented on the death at the time of publication.
City Hall has blood on their hands https://t.co/YpsKmy8GHD
— Kyle Schnitzer (@Kyle_Schnitzer) December 16, 2016
The deer drew crowds for days before it was tranquilized and captured by police Thursday after wandering into the courtyard of a nearby public-housing project.
Twitter users have likened the circumstance to the fatal shooting of Harambe, the 17-year-old gorilla from the Cincinnati Zoo who was killed in May to save a 3-year-old boy who had fallen into its enclosure. One suggested the deer be remembered as "HaramBambi."
— Shoshana Weissmann (@senatorshoshana) December 16, 2016
Other Twitter users recalled the death of a groundhog who de Blasio dropped about six feet onto pavement two years ago. The groundhog, named "Chuck," died of internal injuries that were consistent with the fall.
DeBlasio's body count now includes a groundhog, a dolphin, and a deer.
— Nathan Wurtzel (@NathanWurtzel) December 16, 2016
It is unclear whether a memorial service for the deer will be held.