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DEER

France: Hunt begins for violent Dordogne deer

A hunter is tracking down an aggressive deer that has been attacking locals in an area favoured by holidaymakers in south west France.

France: Hunt begins for violent Dordogne deer
Photo: AFP
The hunt is on for a deer that has been attacking locals in the popular tourist spot of France's south west Dordogne region.
 
Two attacks took place within three days in Augignac, a village in the Dordogne region, leading local authorities to grant special permission to the local hunting association to find and kill the animal. 
 
Of the two reported attacks, the second was by far the grizzlier, with a woman in her 50s rushed to hospital on Sunday evening after the deer charged and gored her with its antlers. 
 
Location of Augignac where the attacks took place. Google maps. 
 
Her husband, who was also at the scene, hit the animal over the head in an attempt to stop the attack, but the woman was left with two wounds in her legs and one in her back, and suffered severe blood loss, according to local press reports
 
And while the first attack was less violent, it was no doubt still a shock for a farmer when the deer “for no reason charged” at him in his own field. 
 
The deer's unusual behaviour could be attributed to a plant local to the area – fleur de Bourdaine – which can produce the effect of drugs and alcohol in animals, explained president of the local hunting association in Augignac René Mandon, who was given the go ahead to hunt the deer on Monday.  
 
Or, he added, it could simply be the effects of the animal being in heat. 
 
For now, the animal remains at large. 
 
 
 
 
 

WILDLIFE

Deer gets lost, wanders into Italian bakery

A deer walks into a bakery... It might sound like the start of a bad joke, but it happened in Italy on Thursday morning and here's the video to prove it.

Deer gets lost, wanders into Italian bakery
A young deer (not this one) got lost in a bakery in central Italy. Photo: Arno Burgi/DPA/AFP

The young fawn was filmed standing behind the counter of a bread shop in Ortona, a small town in the central Abruzzo region.

The clip, shared by local animal welfare officer Antonella Di Mascio, shows the animal looking a little bewildered among the fresh loaves. 

The deer is thought to have wandered out of nearby woodland and got lost. 

After one of the bakery staff alerted the authorities, it was checked by a vet who said the deer was in good health – just a little frightened by finding itself surrounded by so many people, after a small crowd formed to see it.

The deer has since been safely returned to the wild by forest rangers.

Urban encounters with wildlife are increasingly frequent, according to Italy's nature authorities, who say it's common at this time of year to spot fawns who appear to be on their own. If you see one it's best to keep your distance, in case the mother is nearby and might be scared off by seeing humans approach her fawn; call a vet or the forest rangers instead.

Not that people in Abruzzo need advice on living in close proximity with wild animals. In the nearby mountain town of Civitella Messer Raimondo, locals say they have made “friends” with a lone wolf who roams their streets at night, eating the occasional unlucky cat.

The rugged region is also home to bears, boar, foxes and other wild creatures who don't always stay within the bounds of its extensive national parks.

READ ALSO: A herd of 'rebel cows' has been living wild in the Italian mountains for years

A herd of 'rebel cows' has been living wildly in the Italian mountains for years
Photo: antb/Depositphotos