Deer make great escape from venison factory

  • Breaking
  • 06/07/2015

A dozen deer are still missing after a group escaped from a venison processing plant in Mosgiel this morning.

Sixteen of the animals managed to get out of their pens at Otago Venison around 9am today, and while four were recaptured, the others have scarpered through the South Island town and into neighbouring forestry and farm blocks.

Sergeant Kevin Davidson said police had had "a number of phone calls from people quite amused" after seeing the deer running through the streets.

However, he urged the public not to get close to the wild animals.

"We're asking people not to approach them and if there are any sightings of them to let us know and we'll pop around and sort them out," he says.

"They're semi-feral and unpredictable and obviously they'll be pretty fed up following the ordeal that they've had taking off like that."

The deer don't pose a problem for the public if they remain in the forestry and farm blocks, he says.

There's also a "good chance" those deer won't be recaptured if they stay there.

Sgt Davidson says he hasn't spoken to the deer's owners about how to get the deer back, but says they are "very concerned" about how they managed to escape.

Once they had got out from the plant on Puddle Alley, they headed east across the railway line.

"When they were approached they've just been like someone's let a shotgun off – they've taken off all over the place in ones and twos."

Police want to round the deer up, but there haven't been many sightings since their escape.

3 News / RadioLIVE

source: newshub archive