Plea from Surrey wildlife charity after well meaning animal lover takes injured deer home
It follows a series of incidents where well meaning people have tried to treat injured deer
A plea from the Wildlife Aid Foundation about what to do if we come across an injured deer following a spate of wildlife emergencies.
In one case in Frimley, a well-meaning animal lover had taken a deer with a broken leg into her own home where she kept it for several hours before calling the rescue service, which had to euthanise the animal.
Another incident saw a member of the public pick up an injured deer and put it in a car to drive it to the Leatherhead centre.
The Wildlife Aid Foundation say while they appreciate people trying to help they are urging anyone who comes across an injured deer to contact it first, or another wildlife organisation before taking any action.
It says the wrong sort of intervention can be dangerous to both humans and animals.
Deer are particularly sensitive to contact with humans and, when restrained, are susceptible to a condition called capture myopathy, which can be fatal.
WAF CEO Simon Cowell said:
“Deer are such difficult animals to handle and care for and can be incredibly dangerous, particularly when they are confined in a small space like a car.
"They are prone to panic and should not be transported by anyone other than an expert.
“We ask anyone who comes across one not to touch it, cuddle it, sit with it or wrap it in anything.
"They can literally die of shock. Roe deer, which are common in Surrey, are particularly vulnerable.
“While the person who took the deer with the broken home thought they were doing the best thing for the animal, if we were called straight away we could have put it out of its misery sooner and saved hours of unnecessary suffering.”
The Wildlife Aid Foundation 24-hour helpline can be reached on 01372 360404.