A white-tailed deer on a ledge of a gorge on the Cornell campus should be left alone to find its way out because a rescue attempt would be too risky -- for both humans and the animal, Cornell and state conservation officials say.

The deer, which was spotted March 12 on a ledge halfway down the gorge near the footbridge over Beebe Lake, is healthy and is eating grape vines and drinking water, said Cornell veterinarians who have been monitoring it.

"People should not attempt to get near the deer," said Fred W. Quimby, professor of veterinary medicine. "If a human gets close, the deer will be frightened and bolt, or lose its footing and fall off the side into the river." State Department of Environmental Conservation officials and experts in Cornell's Department of Natural Resources advise that the animal should be left alone to find its way out, because of the potential risk to humans and the deer. Also, throwing food to the animal would hinder its ability to search for an escape path, they say.

Tranquilizing the deer also has been ruled out, because the wobbly animal easily could slip off the ledge. And even if tranquilizing the deer were successful, it would be too risky for people to try to raise the animal out of the gorge, Quimby said.