Here in Chestnut Hill we have many beautiful homes and a lush landscape. Many of the larger homes have elegant iron fences with spikes. They are handsome but cause tragedy among the wildlife. Last week I saw a deer who had been impaled by one of the spikes, its lifeless body torn apart. I would have taken a picture, but it was too gruesome. I have seen it before and others tell me they have also seen it occur much too often. The suffering of these poor animals must have been terrible. What is to be done? Some of the newer fences have a small ball at top as part of the design, but most have sharp spikes. Folks on Nextdoor have come up with various solutions. Morris Arboretum has a deer-proof fence in front to keep the deer away. My daughter suggested tennis balls placed on the spikes. Others have suggested a wooden plank. Whatever the solution, I hope we as a community may gather our resources to make changes to spare our deer population from unnecessary suffering.

Sandra Folzer
Chestnut Hill