An unusual intervention was carried out by police officers from Pierce County in the US state of Washington. They saved a deer that got tangled in a tree swing.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department shared on social media a video of the incident that occurred in the Tacoma area in September. The moment the animal was released was recorded by cameras on the officers’ uniforms.
The video shows a frightened young Canadian deer (other name: wapiti) running near a tree. His antlers got caught on the ropes of a swing hanging from a tree. The animal was unable to free itself.
Pruning shears and rake
The officers tranquilized the deer and then cut the swing ropes with pruning shears. They also used a rake to free the animal. The deer knocked them to the ground and ran deep into the forest.
A statement from the sheriff’s department emphasized that officers “rose to the occasion” in trying to save the deer, and that these types of wildlife incidents often require the animal to be euthanized.
Main photo source: Reuters, Facebook/Pierce County Sheriff’s Department