The deer, found dead near Meewasin Valley Trail, don’t appear to have been killed by people or predators. The Ministry of Environment says the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative Lab determined both deer died of a broken neck.

Saskatoon Trail Alliance had posted on their Facebook page that there were two dead deer south from Diefenbaker Park.

Investigating officers feel that due to the animals’ location, the cause of death was due to an impact with the fence beside where the dead animals were found. And the Ministry says tooth mark evidence is a suggestion of scavenging by animals that ranged from dogs to bears.

So while there might be evidence of bears in the area, there is no evidence a cougar killed the deer, as had been suggested as a possibility when the pictures of the deer were first posted.