Chinese water deer rescued from Cambridgeshire reservoir hole by RSPCA and fire services
Animal freed from dangerous conditions at Chatteris farm
An uncommon species of deer, the Chinese water deer, has been rescued from a reservoir hole in Cambridgeshire by the combined efforts of the RSPCA and local fire services.
The incident occurred at a farm in Chatteris, when the RSPCA was alerted to the deer's predicament on Wednesday, 7th October.
The deer was trapped roughly four metres down in a water-filled hole surrounded by thick mud and hazardous plastic sheeting.
Animal Rescue Officer John Woods was first on the scene and called on Cambridge Fire and Rescue for assistance.
Thanks to the Chatteris and Dogsthorpe crew's efforts using ladders, the deer was safely extracted and unharmed.
John Woods expressed gratitude for the collaboration: "This poor deer couldn't climb out and was stuck, but thanks to the fire crew's quick response, it was freed and returned to the wild."
Chinese water deer are native to China and Korea and are relatively rare in the UK, residing mostly in areas like Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk.
These deer lack antlers and are known for their prominent tusks, making the fenlands of Cambridgeshire an ideal habitat.