Residents are devastated after a beloved deer that visits the town every Christmas returns with an arrow lodged in his head.

Kenora, in Ontario, Canada, sees thousands of deers every year. And one, in particular, has become a favorite among locals because he's so friendly. Residents have even nicknamed him Carrot.

Lee-Anne Carver said Carrot has been visiting her home for the past three years.

In an interview with CBC, she said:

"He [is] exceptional, and he continues to come back."

"Carrot's personality is so unique. He's impossible to misidentify."

However, Carver said on Dec. 9, her husband went outside to see the deer but came back weeping. The husband then told her Carrot had an arrow in his head.

She explained:

"I barely understood what he was saying. I went out to see Carrot, and I was completely disturbed when I saw him."

"My understanding from the hunters who have been writing me, it's a carbon arrow, a lethal arrow for hunting. It would come out of a crossbow."

Carver said she believes the arrow came from above the deer, meaning somebody could have shot him from a window or a deck.

She said part of the challenge for Carrot's recovery is that there's no large-animal veterinarian in Kenora to deal with such an injury issue.

They initially didn't remove the arrow to avoid further injury.

She said:

"The consensus is the bolt in the head, as disturbing as it is, may actually be preserving his life at this point."

"It appears to have cauterized the wound, sealed the arteries. Removal could cause severe infection or death from the bleeding."

"We all have a natural inclination to take it out, but that's not necessarily the best medicine."

"If that wound heals as we suspect, and his antlers drop, that arrow should slide out easily."

However, after consulting a conservation officer, they decided to remove the arrow.

A post on Carrot the Magic Deer's Facebook page said:

"I received a message that [someone darted] Carrot and they removed the bolt."

"It wasn't anything I expected, so I ran out the door with no socks, wet hair, and my husband in search for Carrot.

"We found him in a backyard with the MNR [Ministry of Natural Resources] trying desperately to revive him.

"They decided to remove the bolt. It pulled out relatively easy."

"They then injected him with antibiotics..."

"As mentioned yesterday, capture myopathy is lethal for deer. They don't respond well to tranquilizers and stress."

"I am not going to describe how Carrot was handled to try to stimulate him. It may be disturbing for some, but I will say for 6 hours, he didn't get up."

Luckily, according to the latest post on the Facebook, at the time of writing, Carrot is still alive.