| The young buck was spotted cowering in Broughty Ferry harbour this morning in a clearly exhausted state.
It is believed the animal may have made it to Broughty Ferry after swimming over the Tay from Fife.
Concerned members of the public called the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals fearing the animal was trapped in the mud.
However, when an SSPCA officer attempted to pull the stricken deer to safety, it panicked and ran back into the water.
The buck then spent around 30 minutes battling the current as it attempted to swim to safety.
However, it was unable to make any headway and onlookers watched in horror as the buck visibly tired as it swam up and down the river, its head disappearing under the waves repeatedly.
Just as it looked like all hope was lost the RNLI helped the SSPCA come to the rescue.
Using the inshore lifeboat, members of the two rescue services were able to pull the struggling animal on board and then to the safety of the beach by Broughty Castle.
The deer will now be examined by the SSPCA and taken to their animal shelter for treatment at Petterden if required.
If not, the buck will be released back into the wild. |
