Merseyside Police have confirmed armed police have shot a white stag dead after it was seen running around the streets of Bootle, Liverpool.
They received a number of reports yesterday morning from people who’d spotted the deer on various roads including Marsh Lane and Hornby Road.
There were concerns for safety of motorists so armed police were called out and managed to get the deer to an industrial estate. A vet was called in to monitor the stag’s welfare and try to help control it. Several enquiries were made to find an organisation who could assist with recovering the deer safely, but Merseyside Police say they were unable to get assistance and as the hours went by the deer became more distressed. As a result, a decision was made early in the evening to euthanise the deer.
The RSPCA released a statement saying it told police to leave the deer alone before they shot it, as it would “find its way back home”.
But the charity did also say:
“In cases such as this where public safety is a consideration it is a matter for the police to deal with.
“It is possible that the deer could be sedated and moved to a place of safety to be released, but this needs to be done with caution in a public area such as this one, as the deer could startle and run when hit by the dart which could create a bigger public safety issue”.
There was no option to let the deer wander as it could be a danger to motorists and members of the public in the area, particularly as the hours of darkness approached.
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