The Scottish SPCA were called out to help two fallow deer that were caught up in electric fence cord and unable to escape in Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway last week.
A spokesperson from the Scottish SPCA said “Sadly, we are often called to instances of animals that have come into contact with throwaway waste and recently came to the aid of two deer entangled in discarded electric fencing.
We received a call from a concerned member of public on 15 March who had spotted two fallow deer caught up in electric fence cord and unable to escape from it.”
Animal rescue officer Sheena MacTaggart attended the event in Wigtownshire. She said, “This pair were very lucky to have been spotted by a member of the public who realised something wasn’t right.
“On inspection the caller realised it wasn’t just their antlers that were stuck together, but the deer were tangled up in wire from an electric fence.
“With help from one of our inspectors, we were able to free the pair and release them back into the nearby forest.
“We can’t say how long they had been intertwined for but we do know they would never have been able to untangle themselves.
“Unfortunately this isn’t the first call I’ve had involving deer and discarded rubbish. It is so important the public properly dispose of all litter, especially wire, rope and netting so instances such as this don’t happen.
“Wildlife aren’t always as lucky as these deer and improperly discarded waste can be fatal to Scotland’s wild animals.”
Anyone concerned about the welfare of an animal should contact the Scottish SPCA animal helpline on 03000 999 999.
