May 21, 2020 12.35 pm This story is over 58 months old

Firefighters rescue collapsed baby deer from raging moor fire

They put an oxygen mask over her nose
Photo: RSPCA

Firefighters saved the life of a collapsed baby deer who was caught in a raging moor fire in a North Lincolnshire village.

Eight fire engines and crews on the scene from across Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire tackled the blaze at moorland off Sand Lane in Wroot for three days from Sunday, May 17.

Whilst fighting the flames, the crews came across a tiny roe deer kid curled up in the shrubs right at the heart of the fire on Wednesday, when RSPCA inspector Daniel Bradshaw was also called to the scene.

The RSPCA said the baby deer is now doing much better, but the next few days will be touch and go as she’s so young. Photo: RSPCA

The firefighters pulled her to safety, but she soon collapsed and stopped breathing so the Epworth Fire Brigade put an oxygen mask over her nose to get her breathing again.

The fire, thought to have started naturally had been during since Sunday, May 17 across a vast area of Hatfield Moors.

The scene of the fire. Photo: RSPCA

RSPCA inspector Daniel Bradshaw said: “The fire was huge and the crews did an incredible job getting this terrified little kid to safety and helping her when she was struggling to breathe.

“I’m certain they brought her back to life and without their quick-thinking actions she may well have perished.”

The baby deer was moved to the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire for specialist rehabilitation. Photo: RSPCA

Baby deer are normally left alone from an early age for long periods of time and their mother will return home to feed them, but the RSPCA said the fire is likely to have scared her mum away.

Daniel collected the tiny kid, who is believed to be between three and seven days old and unweaned, and took her to a wildlife expert for emergency overnight boarding.

Firefighters put an oxygen mask over the baby deer’s nose to get her breathing again. Photo: Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue

She was then moved to the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire for specialist rehabilitation.

She will be reared by staff at the centre before she is old enough to be released back into the wild.

Daniel added: “She now seems to be doing much better, is quite bright and alert which is wonderful. But she’s not out of the woods yet and the next few days will be touch and go as she’s so young.”