Dangerous Double Deer Rescue Maresfield
WRAS's specialist deer disentanglement team successfully release two deer tied together.
Specialist WRAS Teams Rescue Two Fallow Bucks Found Entangled in Fencing Near Newick and Heathfield East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service’s (WRAS) specialist Deer Disentanglement Team has been called into action twice in the past week after two fallow bucks were found dangerously trapped in fencing in separate incidents near Newick and Punnet’s Town, […]
East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service’s (WRAS) specialist Deer Disentanglement Team has been called into action twice in the past week after two fallow bucks were found dangerously trapped in fencing in separate incidents near Newick and Punnet’s Town, Heathfield.
Walkers near Newick raised the alarm on Friday 7th November after discovering a distressed fallow buck with his antlers caught in electric fencing. A trained WRAS team quickly attended the scene and, working calmly and efficiently, were able to secure the animal and remove the rope before releasing him back into the wild.
From the moment rescuers Trevor Weeks, Thea Taylor, Abbie Marsden, Kristy Sayer and Brian Downing made their initial approach to the point of release, the entire procedure took just under six minutes.
On Tuesday 11th November, shortly after 11am, a resident in Punnet’s Town discovered another fallow buck trapped in a field off Forrest Lane — this time entangled in discarded stock fencing.
WRAS immediately mobilised its specialist team, with rescuers Trevor Weeks, Keith Ring, Daryl Farmer and Ollie Long responding. Using a walk-towards net, the team approached carefully, and when the deer stumbled, Trevor was able to safely secure the rear legs, allowing the team to take control.
The fencing was cut away using bolt cutters and the deer was freed in under five minutes — an unusually fast rescue, especially given the more rigid and hazardous material involved compared to typical rope or net entanglements.
“Deer are highly strung and extremely powerful animals,” explained WRAS Founding Director Trevor Weeks MBE. “From the moment we begin our approach, everything must be completed as quickly and smoothly as possible — ideally within 30 minutes — to avoid capture myopathy, a stress-related condition that can be fatal. Sedation often makes this condition worse, which is why we rely on specialist training and experience rather than drugs.”
Video from the Newick rescue highlights just how powerful and unpredictable trapped deer can be, even when immobilised.
WRAS is urging people not to attempt to free a trapped deer themselves.
“It’s completely natural to want to help,” said Trevor, “but cutting a rope or fencing and letting the deer run off still entangled can make things much worse. The animal is likely to get trapped again — and next time it may not be found in time.”
In many cases, a deer that appears extremely distressed may calm down significantly once people quietly back away and keep out of sight. Reduced stress means reduced thrashing and a lower risk of injury while waiting for help.
Most members of WRAS’s deer team are volunteers who drop everything at a moment’s notice to assist wildlife in distress across East Sussex.
To support WRAS’s specialist rescue work, please visit www.wildlifeambulance.org or call 01825 873003 to donate.
