A WOMAN who owns a rescue centre in Herefordshire has been left devastated after a baby deer was caught in a fence for days.

Dr Sasha Norris, co-founder of Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue based in Bodenham, found the deer when she had caught her back leg in a fence in Upper Hill.

She believes she could have been there for a few days.

"A deer caught in a fence has to be the definition of misery," said Dr Norris.

The centre see this a lot and it is always one of the worst injuries to see, she said.

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Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue gave the fawn constant care. Picture: Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue

Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue gave the fawn constant care. Picture: Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue

But she finds it humbling to see how brave, resilient and physically fit, these animals are after such a trauma.

The little deer drank five bags of rehydration fluids one after another when she was first brought in.

Cut free by a passer-by, who together with his neighbour, a veterinary nurse, contacted Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue.

The fawn, which was only a few months old, was now utterly bewildered, missing her mother, her herd, and her freedom.

"No doubt she was in a lot of pain as her back leg had been pulled out of all shape and was lying helpless behind her," Dr Norris said.

Dr Norris and her team gave her pain relief, and she was taken to the vet the next day.

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But unfortunately, even after they gave the fawn constant care, it was put to sleep.

"There is something peculiarly human about a deer and there is something particularly brutal about fence injuries," she said.

"We gave this little girl a chance."

They did x-rays, gave her medicine and physio, then sought out the best possible advice from Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital, in Haddenham.

But her good leg was splaying too far out to the side and unless she was standing up on her three good legs, they couldn't amputate the fourth.

Dr Norris thought she stood a chance, being so young and having a quality of life in the rescue centre's meadows and orchard.

"It is possible to feel very deeply, to grieve, and to retain objectivity, an intellectual viewpoint on what the outcome should be," she said.

"In fact, the tears that we sometime shed for the animals are a symptom of our profound love.

"They are our strength and our motivation."

Dr Norris wants all new fencing to have deer passes as statutory requirements.

All fencing at Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue lacks a bottom and top line.

This allows deer to jump and badgers to snuggle under their fences, but keeps its sheep, donkeys, swans, geese etc, contained.

Only certain animals such as goats need a higher fence.

"There are zero cost implications of including deer passes in fences," Dr Norris said.

"These are gaps which allow deer to jump but do not allow livestock through.

"Just a little thought put into practice when fences are designed would prevent a whole lot of suffering."