A hearing about whether ‘Baby’ the viral deer should be returned ends with rumors of his death
A social media post claimed Baby had died but a lawyer for the Connellsville woman who raised the deer said Baby remained very much alive.
UNIONTOWN, Pa. — As dark clouds rolled over southwest Pennsylvania, a gloomy Thursday morning opened with one question for supporters of “Baby”: Where was the white-tailed deer seized by game wardens from a Fayette County homeowner earlier this year?
By early afternoon, a different question was being asked: Is Baby even alive?
A day that began with an anticlimactic court hearing seeking a judge’s order for Baby’s return to the women who domesticated him has morphed into an existential mystery that may spell an end to the outlandish social media saga.
It now appears the very mortality of a deer that has captured the attention of everyone from Elon Musk to Marjorie Taylor Greene has been brought into question on what had been billed as something of a liberation day for Baby’s legion of online fans.
Tamara Shiery, the Connellsville woman who raised Baby for nearly two years after the animal wandered onto her yard, had hoped that Thursday’s hearing would bring an end to the nearly five weeks of confusion that followed his removal.
It is illegal to keep a wild animal as a pet in Pennsylvania, and on Feb. 25, game wardens seized Baby from Shiery’s property — a tense moment captured on video and circulated widely on Facebook and X, birthing a MAGA-adjacent movement against “tyrannical” government overreach into the lives of everyday Americans.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission said it had since rehomed Baby to a wildlife sanctuary, though Shiery was never told where, and through her attorney, Vincent Tiberi, she filed a motion for a return of property that many believed would be resolved Thursday.
But the 9 a.m. hearing began with Tiberi standing before Judge Steve P. Leskinen and announcing he was withdrawing the motion. He did not explain his reasoning.
Then, just after 1 p.m., a message was posted to Baby’s official X account, which is managed by the deer’s supporters.
“May Baby Rest in Peace” the account said.
The message linked to an announcement posted by a Baby superfan who claimed to have spoken with Shiery:
“It completely shatters me to report this. At this time, it appears that Baby the deer is no longer with us here on this earth,” said the user, @peggybundy1738.
Within minutes, Baby’s X account was rebranded with generated images of the deer floating in the heavens, pearly white angel wings adorning the animal’s back.
Mourning posts shot off from all corners of the #SaveBaby-obsessed internet, as X users quickly blamed the animal’s death — without evidence — on state game officials. Many comments tagged Musk’s account in a bid for the billionaire’s attention.
What exactly is behind this shocking reversal, especially given that Shiery’s defense — just two hours before — had answered “not necessarily” when asked by The Inquirer if Shiery’s case was over?
In a more shocking twist, Shiery’s own lawyer is now disputing the deer’s death.
“I was told the exact opposite of that” by the game commission’s attorneys, Tiberi said by phone around 3 p.m.
“They didn’t tell me where the deer is located,” Tiberi said, mentioning it was likely in Centre County.
But by Tiberi’s account, Baby is very much alive. He added that he had not spoken to Shiery since Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Game Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment; nor did Shiery or the X user who posted the death announcement.
@peggybundy1738’s post goes on to accuse the game commission of “lies and corruption,” stating that an unnamed “professional licensed wildlife rescuer” has theorized that Baby died within hours of his February removal due to stress and mishandling.
Beyond the unnamed wildlife rescuer, there is no evidence that Baby died in game commission custody, and it is unclear how or when the user was in contact with the source.
More puzzling, the campaign around Shiery’s hearing treated the animal as if it was very much alive.
@peggybundy1738, whose profile banner reads “BRING BABY HOME,” claimed to have flown into town for the hearing, according to posts that appeared to be from Pittsburgh’s airport this week.
Meanwhile, in the hour before announcing Baby’s death, the deer’s X account had asked followers for their prayers following the inconclusive hearing. The message linked to a Tuesday statement from State Rep. Dan Maloney, a Republican who has taken on the mantle of Baby’s cause.
According to that statement, Maloney’s recent inquiry to game officials about Baby’s whereabouts — including questions about whether Baby was alive — ended unfruitfully.
“Questions still abound about Baby,” said Maloney, whose district covers parts of Berks County. “Was the deer ever wildlife or was it born in captivity? That family says it has receipts and paperwork.”
Two days later, more questions remain.