Hero rescue team saves trapped creature from near-certain doom: 'Incredibly lucky'

The remnants of a childhood pastime nearly turned into the end of the line for a deer in Welwyn, England, after its antlers got stuck in what appeared to be football netting. Fortunately, a rescue team was able to mobilize to save the creature.

As reported by the Welwyn Hatfield Times, after a member of the public did their duty to report the trapped deer, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service arrived at Bibbs Hall Lane to find the animal in distress. Beyond having its antlers stuck in the net, it had a minor scrape on its leg.

The team worked quickly to cut the deer free, and then it removed the net to ensure it didn't become a snare for other wildlife.

In our oceans, ghost nets from lost or discarded fishing gear are frequently referred to as "silent killers," destroying the health of crucial fishing grounds and marine ecosystems, which is why a range of organizations — including the NBA and Aegean Rebreath — are working to repurpose or clean up this deadly form of contamination.

Yet plastic waste on land can also be just as dangerous — a fact that RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Nicole Scott, who tracked down the deer, emphasized to the Welwyn Hatfield Times.

"I think it's a really important reminder to people to dispose of netting and any other litter properly to avoid this adverse impact on the wild animals we share our spaces with," Scott said. "It's a really easy way we can all do our bit to keep animals safe."

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Deer can be "particularly susceptible to stress" and suffer stress-induced muscle breakdown, according to Scott, who explained that "this deer was incredibly lucky" to survive and be released back into the wild.

"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," Scott said.

"I'm very grateful to the firefighters who were able to help with this specialist rescue too," she added.

Should we be actively working to kill invasive species?

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