It's a uniquely Alaskan problem: So many deer carcasses are washing up on Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport's ocean-side runway that planes are actually in danger when landing and taking off, Alaska Dispatch News reports.
During the hunting season, some people dispose of animal remains by dumping them in the ocean; since the season opened on Nov. 1, U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife specialist Heather Bauscher said one to three deer a week have washed up on the Sitka Airport runway. "There's a lot of steps between somebody pitching some animal remains overboard or leaving them on the beach and planes crashing, but it can happen," Bauscher said.
Additionally, the deer carcasses draw in birds — which can get caught in plane turbines "to the point of completely destroying that engine."
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