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Virginia Beach seafood restaurant invaded by rogue ruminant
In a move that has left local diners and wildlife experts scratching their heads, a deer crashed through the front window of a popular seafood restaurant in Virginia Beach on Monday night. Witnesses reported seeing the deer sprinting across the parking lot, leaping over parked cars and bushes, and then slamming into the glass facade of the Neptune’s Net restaurant, located near the oceanfront.
“I was sitting at the bar, enjoying my crab cakes and beer, when all of a sudden there was this loud noise and this brown blur came flying in,” said Tom Smith, a retired Navy officer who was visiting from Ohio. “I was like, holy crap, is that a deer? And sure enough, it was a deer.”
Smith and several other patrons quickly moved out of the animal’s way and retreated to the back of the restaurant, while others snapped photos and videos and called emergency services. Meanwhile, the deer frantically tried to regain its footing and escape, sliding and thrashing on a slippery floor covered with broken glass, furniture, and seafood debris.
“It was like a scene from a bad action movie, only with more odor and gore,” said Rachel Green, a college student who was waiting tables at the time. “I was just thinking, oh deer, what is going on? This is not how I imagined my summer job.”
After several minutes of chaos and confusion, the deer managed to muster enough strength and agility to jump over the bar, knock down some bottles and glasses, and then scamper back outside, leaving a trail of blood and fur and broken dreams behind. The restaurant staff and customers breathed a collective sigh of relief and disbelief, and surveyed the damage that could reach thousands of dollars in repairs and lost revenue.
“I don’t know how we’re going to explain this to our insurance company, or to our customers,” said Tim Jones, the owner of Neptune’s Net. “I mean, we’ve had hurricanes and floods and fires, but never a deer. What was that deer thinking? Did it have a beef with our seafood? Did it want a Table for Two? Did it mistake us for Red Lobster? I don’t get it.”
Jones and his team cleaned up the mess as best as they could, and resumed the service the next day, albeit with a few changes in decor and warning signs. The incident, however, has sparked a debate among environmental activists and animal welfare advocates about the risks and consequences of urbanization on wildlife and vice versa.
“Deer are not supposed to be running around in shopping centers and restaurants, unless they have a death wish or are fleeing from danger,” said Sarah Adams, a biologist with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. “They are beautiful and majestic creatures, but they are also wild creatures, and they can cause harm to themselves and to humans if they get too close or too stressed. We need to respect their boundaries and habitats, and make sure that we provide them with enough resources and space to thrive.
Adams added that the incident could also serve as a reminder for people to drive carefully and watch out for wildlife, especially during the summer and fall mating seasons, when animals are more active and less cautious. She suggested that restaurants and other commercial establishments should also consider installing better barriers and protections against unexpected visitors, such as deer or bears or possums or drunk people.
