The RSPCA and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service have come to the aid of a deer that was entangled in fencing around his antlers – before the RSPCA released him back to the wild.
The RSPCA attended the trapped deer in London Road, Abridge in Romford on Thursday, 27 February. The deer was on his feet but could not free his head as his antlers were tangled in the wire mesh fencing at the side of a property.
An RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer attended and requested the help of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service’s animal unit to help free the trapped deer.
She said: “This poor deer had become trapped by his antlers and was unable to free himself. I was incredibly grateful to the fire services who attended and sent their animal unit who have the specialised equipment and skills to be able to cut the deer free from the wiring and netting. I gave the deer a quick check over but thankfully, he wasn’t injured and it was safe to release him back into the wild there and then.
“Deer are particularly susceptible to stress and therefore in many cases they do not survive for very long after being trapped due to stress-induced muscle breakdown, meaning that in many cases it’s kinder and the best option for animal welfare to put them to sleep to prevent the risk of a painful death hours later. It’s wonderful on this occasion, after a careful assessment, that we were confident to release the deer back to the wild. It’s always the best part of the job to see such a beautiful, powerful animal finally free and released back to where they belong – the wild.”
Fallow deer were first brought to Britain by the Romans over 1,000 years ago. Today, they are widespread across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. They live in woodland, grassland and parkland. Typically, fallow deer grow to around 90cm (35in) tall and they have a light chestnut-brown coat with white spots during the summer and a duller grey-brown coat in the winter. However, it is not uncommon to see deer with darker brown and even black fur too.
For more information on living with deer, visit: www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/deer
