Deer, oh deer

The dog and I witnessed a slightly disturbing incident on one of our early, pre-dawn walks this week.

We were just walking past one of the village's 'big houses', which has set-back electric gates with railings either side, when we disturbed a muntjac deer which, seeing the dog, tried to leap through the railings to escape - only to get stuck.

I didn't know deer could make so much noise! It was very distressed and I couldn't see any immediate way to help it, so I thought the best thing was to finish our walk around the village and hope that it might quiten down, stop panicking and free itself.

No such luck. When we returned, it was still trapped and the only thing we did was distress it again. I was just about to pop into the phone box opposite to try to find an emergency number for the RSPCA when a chap from a neighbouring house appeared and offered to call a vet so, feeling a bit guilty, we left him and the deer to it.

I was pleased to see when I drove past a little later that the poor thing had been freed. I don't know if it was a boy or a girl, but I bet it's now working on getting that Christmas weight off its hips!