Deer found tied together by twine

One of the deer had been dead for at least two days

A man walking his dog in an East Sussex wood found two deer tied together by twine round their antlers on the bank of a stream - one of whom had died.

Animal rescue experts were called out and managed to free the live deer, despite it trying to run away and drag the dead animal with it.

Members of East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) managed to pin the deer down and cut it free.

The animals were found in Park Wood, near Burwash on Tuesday night.

'Difficult to catch'

Trevor Weeks of East Sussex WRAS said he thought the animals had become entangled by accident while rutting and he thought the dead animal had been dead for at least 48 hours.

The man who found the deer showed rescuers through the forest for more than a mile.

Mr Weeks said: "I spotted the first deer lying on the bank of a stream but could not see the second.

"As I got closer I could see that the other deer was dead lying in the stream."

As Mr Weeks and his colleague Karen Wade approached the deer it tried to run away but could not because of the weight of the dead animal.

Mr Weeks said: "It is difficult to catch live deer at the best of times, and we had to be patient and wait for the right moment to approach and attempt capture.

Ran off

"Luckily the deer slipped and fell onto its side in the stream giving me the chance to jump in and pin the deer down."

Joined by rescuers from International Animal Rescue, they managed to cover the deer's head and cut it free with saws.

They checked its heart, pulse and breathing rate and were satisfied it was fit for release.