A huge stag has been rescued after getting its antlers entangled in barbed wire and electric fencing.
A member of the public spotted that the red deer – the largest species in the country – was stuck in a field and alerted the authorities.
RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector, Vicki Taylor, and Animal Rescue Officer, Ash Moore, attended the scene.
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She said: “This poor stag was well and truly stuck with his antlers completely entangled in electric fencing and barbed wire.
“My fellow officers worked with a local vet who sedated the deer.
“They were then able to cut the wiring and fencing free of the deer’s antlers.
“Thankfully, there were no injuries, and so we waited at a distance and watched him walk off into the treeline, it was a brilliant sight.”
Ms Tayor said deer are particularly susceptible to stress and in many cases do not survive for very long after being trapped due to stress-induced muscle breakdown.
She said: “In many cases, it’s kinder and the best option for animal welfare to put them to sleep to prevent the risk of a painful death hours later.
“It’s wonderful on this occasion after a careful assessment that we were able to release the deer back to the wild.
“It’s always the best part of the job to see such a beautiful, powerful animal finally free and released back into the wild.”
The stag was rescued in Cannock, Staffordshire.
Red deer are the largest land mammal in Britain and can grow to over 4ft and weigh up to 200kg, as reported by Need To Know.
There are two native species of deer in Britain – roe and red deer.
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