Shock and anger after hand-reared deer 'savaged to death by dogs'

The 18-month-old fawn, kept at Harry Tuffin's Country Park, Churchstoke, was killed between Saturday evening, when the park closed, and Sunday morning, when it reopened.

Roy Delves, who owns the park with his wife Ruby, said: "She was everybody's favourite. Kids would come down there and rub noses with her, she was lovely.

"We last saw her there at about 5.30pm on Saturday then the next time we saw her was Sunday morning at 8am and she had been mutilated and was dead in her bed."

Mr Delves said he suspected dogs had been responsible although he said a person may have assisted them in getting to Bambi.

He said: "We are assuming that on Saturday night it was a couple of dogs, lurcher types, who did it with or without human help.

"The gate was locked and it is a five-bar gate so it would have to be something like a lurcher because they could get through."

Mr Delves added: "It could be that someone - I hope it is not - but that someone has baited her so the dogs can get the taste and go hunting."

Bambi was raised by two members of staff after being born to her mother, three-year-old Joey.

Mr Delves said of Bambi: "She was hand-reared by May and David Bowkett from the time that she was born and they would take her home with them to look after her. She lived in the house with them for a while so she was like their pet, they are devastated, we all are.

"Everyone is sick. The loss of her is one thing, we all get used to animals dying, you care for them and then they do pass away, but being as she was, petted so much, she would not have been thinking about what was going to happen."

Mr Bowkett said they had been horrified at Bambi's death and they wanted answers over how it happened.

He said: "It is awful, we are still in shock. She is only 18 months old, we hand-reared her and her mother.

"We bottle-fed her, looked after her, we were up in the night with her, so to see her like that, it has been awful."

Mr Bowkett added: "We just love looking after animals and to lose Bambi the way we have done it is just shocking.

"We are just so angry, we want to know why and who has done it.

Mr Delves said they were now reviewing CCTV footage which covers the entrances to the area to try to discover who, or what was responsible for the attack on Bambi.

Police are appealing for witnesses about the incident and anyone with information can contact them on 101.