Distressed deer in Welshpool left swinging after getting antlers caught in rope
Two police "animal-loving" police officers used a pair of scissors from their first aid kit to rescue a deer that was trapped in a rope swing.
The pair went above and beyond the call of duty after a member of the public spotted the deer with its antlers tangled in the swing in a field near Powis Castle in Welshpool.
Dyfed-Powys Police referred the incident onto the RSPCA, however two members of the Powys Roads Policing Unit, PCs Marcus Wright and Dave Wilkinson, were in the area and decided to go and investigate.
"I saw the call come on the system and that it had been referred to the RSPCA,” said PC Wilkinson.
“I suggested to Marcus that we go and see if we could help the animal and prevent any suffering that it was going through."
Armed with just a small pair of scissors in a first aid kit, the pair swung into action and found the deer trapped by its antlers, in a distressed state, frothing from its mouth and breathing very heavily.
The pair’s initial attempts of trying to take hold of the rope swing failed as the deer panicked and tried to run away, which led to it being pulled up into the air by the rope. Its sharp antlers were also close to the part of the rope that needed to be cut to free the animal.
As the deer started to tire the officers managed to calm it, with PC Wright gently scratching its forehead while his colleague got to work with the scissors to cut away at the rope.
“The poor thing was swinging by its antler and must have been exhausted and terrified,” said PC Wright.
“Fortunately, it calmed pretty quickly which enabled us get to work untangling its antler so it could be freed. Within 15 minutes it was freed, but it sat there for a little while to catch its breath and then it was off.
“As animal lovers, it was great to see, and a very rewarding experience for us both.”
