Oh deer! Rescue mission after fallow deer ‘misjudges gap’ between tree and post

A team of rescuers used hydraulics to prise a tree and concrete post apart to free a deer who was stuck after ‘misjudging the gap’.

RSPCA animal rescue officer Rachel Edwards was called to Bear Lane, Reading, on 14 February 2021 after members of the public spotted a fallow deer in a nearby wooded area who was stuck between a tree and a concrete fence post.

Rachel said: ‘I believe the deer may have been running along the fence line and thought she could squeeze through but misjudged the gap and got stuck fast!

‘If she’d been spooked then that would explain how she’d ended up in a pickle. Unfortunately, deer are easily scared and can often bolt and end up in all sorts of predicaments.

‘She was wedged very tightly and there was no way I could free her alone so I contacted Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service for assistance and was incredibly grateful when they sent a team to help.’

Rachel covered the deer’s head – a tactic used to help calm them down – and then the fire teams took over.

She added: ‘Fire and rescue services have teams with specialist training to help in these sorts of rescues and they also have vital equipment that we don’t have.

‘They used hydraulic equipment to push against the post and slightly widen the gap so that we could carefully push the deer free.

‘I checked her over at the scene and, thankfully, she wasn’t injured so we released her and she darted off into the undergrowth. It was a wonderful happy ending!’

If you find a sick, injured or trapped wild animal, the RSPCA advises keeping your distance and contacting their emergency hotline on 0300 1234 999 for advice.

For more information, go to www.rspca.org.uk