Maxine, 51, and Laura, 24, were driving on Plumstead Road on the outskirts of Norwich at about 6pm on January 6 when they spotted the small deer lying in the dark.
They turned their car around and decided to help the terrified animal, covering it with blankets and calling the Hillside Animal Sanctuary, at Frettenham.
Maxine, a health care assistant, said she has always loved animals, and couldn’t leave the deer there to suffer.
She said: “It was very scared and kept trying to get up. My concern was that it would struggle into the road and cause another accident.”
Laura, a nurse, said the small female deer was bleeding from its nose.
She said: “I don’t know how someone could hit something and then just drive off – it was on the side of a busy road. It was very sweet and although it couldn’t get away it seemed gentle enough.”
The two animal lovers did not make it to the bingo, but stayed with the deer until help arrived from the sanctuary in Frettenham at about 7pm.
After a close shave, the Chinese water deer is now being cared for at the home of Hillside founder Wendy Valentine.
She said the sanctuary had never had a surviving water deer, but added that in the last three weeks three had come in and had all survived.
She said: “Usually they are put to sleep or brought into the sanctuary to see if we can save them. But surprisingly, this female deer pulled round and recovered – I kept her here for a few days and now she’s munching away nicely.”
The deer is being kept warm in a stable at Wendy’s home until she is ready to be turned out with some of the sanctuary’s other deer.
Chinese water deer are not native to this country, so legally the young deer cannot be released back into the wild.
(Norfolk Eastern Daily Press - Jan 16, 2014)
Wow ! Another great story! Let's hope the wildlife security guards don't find out and send a swat team to get that baby deer!
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