Perhaps he had picnic plans with friends on the 4th? Guess who is on the lam again?

An Animal Control officer handles a tranquilized deer after it led police on a chase through downtown South Bend, Indiana, on June 26, 2008. The deer has since escaped from an animal rehabilitation center. (WSBT photo)

Unbelievably, the unidentified deer that was found wandering in the streets of South Bend, Indiana, (see video here) which has remained unidentified, has escaped and is back in the wild. Or not unbelievably.

“He’s out in the wild somewhere,” said South Bend Animal Control Manager Gary Libbey. “We had him with a person who rehabilitates deer, but he somehow got out. We’re starting to call him Harry Houdini.”

The deer, which has a distinctive black rump and black spots, apparently is a long way from its native environment. Libbey said the deer was not a native whitetail, but an exotic species from Europe or Asia. He said it might require special permits to own or transport. No one has claimed the deer.

Police used squad cars in an attempt to block the animal as it ran through downtown streets June 26. Animal control officers eventually used a tranquilizer dart to stop the deer, which was uninjured.

Libbey said the animal likely would mingle with other wild deer. “As long as he stays in the country, he’s not our problem,” Libbey said.

“Deer That Led Police On Chase Escapes,”, WSBT, Jul 3, 2008.

“Maybe it’s a Fortean deer!” says “Cryptomundian anon,” who called my attention to this followup.

Meanwhile, the update as of 10 pm Thursday night, July 3, from California is that Moe the chimpanzee remains loose.

Reports that the animal’s tracks had been spotted this week were incorrect, said Michael McCasland, spokesman for Moe’s owners, LaDonna and St. James Davis.

“Those are old tracks that we already know about,” McCasland said.

The search continues, but, thus far, no sightings of Bigfoot have come from around Devore, California, confusing Moe with a Sasquatch.