Toronto, Dec 18 (IANS): A Canadian photographer has shared a photo of a deer with an arrow sticking out of its head in hopes of saving the animal amidst the bitter winter season, according to a media report on Friday.

According to the report in the Guardian newspaper, wildlife photographer Lee-Anne Carver found the whitetail buck, who she has named Carrot, in Kenora city, Ontario province.

"It's been really tough to see."I've been photographing animals for years and there's something special about Carrot. He's unlike any deer I've ever met," Carver told the Guardian.

According to the photographer, Carrot has been visiting her and her husband in their backyard.

"He's very gentle and affectionate," she added.

But last week, Carver's husband noticed that Carrot was injured and upon inspection saw the arrow impaled on the animal's head.

"It was very disturbing to see. But he was still acting like his normal self," she told the Guardian.

Local officials have said that they would not euthanise the deer, but conservation officers and hunters have advised against removing the arrow as it might cause more injury and cause excessive bleeding.

On Wednesday, police officers and staff from the province's ministry of natural resources were able to trim the length of the arrow after tranquilizing Carrot.

In an effort to spread the news, Carver has started a Facebook page, 'Carrot the Magic Deer', which according to the photographer has "seemed to unify people" over the animal's plight.

"It's been so overwhelming so see all of this compassion, that's sorely lacking in the world right now. There's so much suffering out in the world these days, and Carrot's suffering too, but he's become bigger than that," she told the Guardian.

"He's given us something to focus on right now, and something to love. And that means a lot."

In 2016, Kenora had passed a by-law allowing residents to shoot deer within city limits.