A DEER whose antlers became tightly tangled in cricket netting was rescued by RSPCA and Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service.

The tangled deer was spotted at Harpsden Cricket Club in Henley by a concerned walker who contacted the RSPCA who managed to rescue the panicked deer.

RSPCA Inspector Andy Eddy said: “We used some boards to get as close to him as possible to contain him, and were then able to put a rug over his eyes. Once we had done that, he calmed down a bit and the thrashing became less frantic.

"We cut the netting away from his antlers and I gave him a good look over. Luckily, he didn’t seem to have sustained any major injuries from his ordeal, so we gently let him go.

"He stood up and immediately trotted off into the bushes at the back of the cricket pitch.”

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This rescue mission was not an usual situation for the RSPCA as it is contacted regularly about animals trapped in fencing and netting - often animals like hedgehogs and badgers as well as deer.

The RSPCA explained that as these animals are generally nocturnal, they have normally been trapped and struggled all night to get free and so by the time they are found in the morning, they can have very serious injuries.

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