Deer rescued after getting stuck in garden gate

A Surrey homeowner got a massive surprise when he left for work, when he found a deer stuck in his garden. The animal appeared to have become trapped while attempting to squeeze through the

gate at the property in Beechfield, Banstead. The resident found the unlucky deer at around 7am on Friday, May 9 and rang the RSPCA for help. Inspector Jo Bowling arrived at the property

around an hour later. Jo said: “We have no idea how it got there as their garden has 6ft-high fence panels all the way round and the back gate into the fields was locked shut. It seems he

jumped into their garden and then tried to get out using the gate, but got himself stuck. “I tried freeing him myself with a car jack, but I couldn't lift the deer over the bottom bit

of the gate on my own, so I called Surrey Fire and Rescue Service for back-up. They used their spreaders whilst myself and a firefighter lifted the deer. “We released him into the garden,

where I left a gate open that backed into fields, and he shot off uninjured, quicker than I could grab my camera! We work closely with the fire service on some rescues and we’re always

incredibly grateful for any help we receive from them. “Deer are particularly susceptible to stress and therefore in many cases they do not survive for very long after being trapped due to

stress-induced muscle breakdown, meaning that in many cases it’s kinder and the best option for animal welfare to put them to sleep to prevent the risk of a painful death hours later. It’s

wonderful on this occasion, after a careful assessment, that we were able to release the deer back to the wild. “It’s always the best part of the job to see such a beautiful, powerful animal

finally free and released back into the wild.” For more information about what to do if you find a deer in trouble, visit the RSPCA's site here.