Deer on the loose in Sydney CBD found trapped in fence
From Anzac Bridge to Surry Hills, this deer was spotted trotting through traffic, bewildering drivers and pedestrians, but has since become stuck in a fence after its six-hour adventure.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
After a six-hour-long jaunt around Sydney, a deer which was first spotted in Pyrmont has been collected from Surry Hills.
The doe was picked up by police and the RSPCA around 11.15 after being spotted stuck between a fence and shrubbery at the Greek Orthodox Church on Cleveland St.
She has been taken to Taronga Zoo for tests and put down.
The four-legged creature was first seen in Pyrmont around 5.30am dodging traffic near the Anzac Bridge before trotting south to Broadway.
Transport Management Centre staff were the first to spot the creature with a spokeswoman telling The Daily Telegraph she popped up on traffic cameras.
“It was first in the Pyrmont area, near Banks St, we saw it on the cameras. The last we saw was it jumping over a fence. There are no lane closures and at this stage, it is not impacting traffic,” she said.
Rebecca told 2GB’s Ben Fordham she saw the deer heading towards Central Station and it looked uninjured.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The deer ran out in front of the car it was on Regent st hedging towards the old rail line,” she said.
“There was a guy on a bike next to me and it nearly got him.”
Police urged drivers to be careful when travelling this morning and to not approach the deer.
Last week, officers were flabbergasted by the appearance of two deer in Sydney’s inner west.
Leichhardt Acting Inspector David Westgarth said it was unclear where the deer had come from, or how they came to roam the area’s residential streets.
“No one has reported missing deer. It’s a bit of a stretch for them to get all the way here from a national park. So we’re not really sure what happened,” Inspector Westgarth said.
One of the animals was eventually found and captured after it got stuck behind an airconditioning unit. It had to be euthanised following serious injuries.
Invasive Species Council Chief Executive Officer Andrew Cox said there have been more deer sightings in metropolitan areas due to their growing population, the drought and bushfires.
“We are receiving a lot more anecdotal reports about deer in Sydney’s south and west. We know the deer are slowly moving into our bushland and park areas,” he said.
“They like to move through narrow areas when they travel so places like nature strips, or railway and tram lines are fairly common and this has been proven by the amount of sightings in those places in recent months.
“The population is growing rapidly so more deer are competing with each other for resources. Historically we have also seen deer move to new areas after major shifts in the environment due to fires and the drought.”
He added, the deer moving to more metropolitan areas is a concern.
“The deer are very large, they can grow over 200kg. Which is getting to be the size of a small horse,” he said.
“You would not want to hit one with your car. They are also very flighty and unpredictable so that could cause some harm. There was a recent case in Victoria where a man was killed by a deer. They are dangerous.
It has been a wild year for Sydney with a buffalo and baboons also breaking free to roam across the city and suburbs.
Last month a woman was attacked by a buffalo in Sydney’s southwest. She was treated for leg injuries at Liverpool Hospital.
The year’s first wild animal encounter was in February when three baboons roamed around Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
After an hours-long search, the animals were eventually captured before the male baboon received a vasectomy.