'Oh deer' moment for fire crews as stag tangled in fencing
Firefighters had to cut it free after the stag got trapped in fencing around a tree
Last updated 14th Aug 2023
Firefighters have shared pictures of an unusual call-out… and have said they had an “oh dear moment”.
The crews from Hereford and Ross-on-Wye were called out to a deer which had been left tangled in fencing.
They used a line to secure it and then wire cutters and small tools to cut the stag free.
The animal was then checked for injures and then released back into the wild after the rescue on Saturday afternoon (August 12th).
Pictures from the scene showed how the animal had got its antlers tangled in fencing around a tree in Llanwarne, between Hereford and Ross-on-Wye.
The Hereford Deer Management Society, established in 1984, said the population of native deer, topped up with imported species and released captive animals, has exploded in recent years.
An exact head count of deer is difficult due to their nature but the group believe that there are more deer in Britain now than 1,000 years ago.
"Deer have re-established themselves throughout the countryside and their range and numbers are steadily increasing," it said.
It added that ancient woodland is also being irreversibly damaged and native woodland plants are under threat from unchecked deer populations.
It said crashes with cars are also possible.