Deer picks up a 6-foot post with his Antlers, only to become helplessly Stuck
He may have gotten in over his head …
As the sun came up over Emsworth, England, in late October, a resident noticed something odd out in a field. They’d gone to check on their horses, only to find a deer in distress.
A fallow buck had tangled his antlers in wires from a nearby fence. In a frantic effort to get free, the deer somehow managed to trap a 6-foot wooden post in the mess.
When the resident spotted the deer, they called the RSPCA for help.
“The buck was physically stuck to a post by his antlers,” animal rescue officer (ARO) Marie with the RSPCA told The Dodo. “But [he] was able to move in a diameter of about [50 feet] around the post.”
Even though the buck could move around, he was stuck, tethered to one post with the weight of the pole on his head causing pressure. ARO Marie estimated he’d been there struggling for about 12 hours.
Since the deer was clearly terrified and in pain, ARO Marie knew freeing him would require sedation. She also recognized the risk of putting the buck through additional stress.
According to a press release from the RSPCA, “deer are particularly susceptible to stress and in many cases they do not survive long after being trapped due to stress-induced muscle breakdown.”
Luckily, a local equine veterinarian was available to help out. She arrived at the site and, as the buck’s herd looked on, quickly and safely sedated him. ARO Marie carefully removed the wire and relieved the poor buck of the enormous post he’d been lugging around for hours.
“Fortunately, this buck responded well,” ARO Marie said in the press release. “After a few hours recovering in shrubland, he came ’round.”
These rescues are fairly common during autumn in England, ARO Marie said. It’s rutting season, which means bucks look for creative ways to attract mates.
“[Bucks] actually actively look for items to ‘dress up’ their antlers,” ARO Marie said. “To impress the female deer and to potentially frighten off other males.”
The Royal Parks says deer have been seen with grass “headdresses” adoring their antlers during this time of year. Though this particular buck may have gotten in over his head, he’s safe thanks to ARO Marie.
“It was a joy to watch him rejoin his herd,” she said.
