Quick-thinking farmer rescues deer tangled in fence rope
A DISTRESSED deer had to be rescued after its antlers got tangled in rope in West Lancashire.
The panicked fallow buck uprooted four fence posts in its struggle to disentangle itself and when a farmer found it in his field in Roby Mill, he contacted the RSPCA for help.
RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Kelly Nix said: “When I and my colleague, ACO Robyn Morris, arrived, we could see that the poor animal’s antlers had become entangled in some rope attached to fence posts in the field.
“As the big deer thrashed around in a panic, he had managed to uproot four of the posts – despite them being very sturdy – and then dragged the posts along with him as he ran into another field.
“The more the deer thrashed and the tighter he became entangled, the more he panicked.
“We were getting very concerned. Deer are very sensitive to stress and can go downhill fast, so we knew he needed freeing as soon as possible.
“It was a very difficult situation as he was a big lad and thrashing around.
“Suddenly, the poor animal got stuck on his back, and it really became critical.
“At that point, the farmer decided to try something.
“Gently restraining the deer, he carefully cut through the rope with a saw he was carrying, and as the buck became disentangled, we were able to assess the animal for any injuries.
“Thankfully, we could see that the buck was none the worse for his ordeal and he soon ran off across the fields.
“We were all were really pleased he was okay, especially as this animal is a frequent visitor to the farmer’s field, often accompanied by a pair of female fallow deer.
“Our thanks go to the farmer; the outcome for the deer could have been so different, but his concern and quick thinking resulted in a happy ending.”
The incident happened on Monday, January 13.
The RSPCA said it was contacted regularly about animals trapped in fencing and netting – often hedgehogs and badgers as well as deer.
As these animals are generally nocturnal, they have normally been trapped and struggled all night and so by the time they are found in the morning, they can have very serious injuries – sometimes fatal.
The public are advised no to try to free a trapped animal it they fine one.
Wild animals can scratch, kick and bite when frightened, particularly if they are injured.
Keep a safe distance and call the RSPCA national cruelty and advice line on 0300 1234 999. For more advice on what to do if you find a wild animal in need of help, visit the website www.rspca.org.uk